Cultural Persistence of Health in Migrants
Author Information
Author(s): Costa-Font Joan, Sato Azusa, Saenz-de-Miera Belen
Primary Institution: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Hypothesis
How do cultural factors influence health self-assessments among first- and second-generation migrants?
Conclusion
Cultural reference points significantly affect how migrants assess their health, showing persistence across generations.
Supporting Evidence
- Self-reported health assessments are influenced by cultural norms from the migrants' home countries.
- First-generation migrants show significant cultural persistence in health assessments.
- Second-generation migrants also reflect cultural influences in their health self-assessments.
- The study utilized data from seven waves of the European Social Survey.
- Health assessments vary significantly by age, gender, and region among migrants.
- Robustness checks confirmed the persistence of cultural effects across different specifications.
- Findings suggest that cultural reference points matter in health assessments.
- Evidence indicates that cultural persistence is stronger among older individuals and those in Northern Europe.
Takeaway
This study shows that where you come from can change how you feel about your health, even if you live in a different country.
Methodology
The study analyzed self-reported health data from the European Social Survey, focusing on first- and second-generation migrants across 30 host countries.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include the healthy migrant effect and cultural differences in health assessments.
Limitations
The study may be limited by unaccounted selection biases and the inability to identify returning migrants.
Participant Demographics
The study included first- and second-generation migrants from over 90 sending countries residing in 30 European host countries.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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