[Health monitoring of the Swiss migrant population]

With the health monitoring of the Swiss migrant population, a database was created on migrants' health state, their health behaviour and utilization of health services. Thanks to this database, it is now possible to draw representative conclusions on the health status of migrants compared to the indigenous population. Based on the Swiss Health Survey, a questionnaire was developed and translated into several languages. A survey of the foreign population permanently resident in Switzerland as well as of asylum seekers and those temporarily settled in Switzerland was conducted through phone interviews. The interviewees could choose the survey language: in their mother tongue or one of the Swiss languages. A first description of the data is available. The analyses show that the results found for migrants of West European countries are comparable to those of the Swiss population. All other migrants come off worse with regard to health and social indicators. For example, they assess their self-perceived health state more often as "average" or "bad", they feel emotionally less balanced, or visit a doctor more frequently than the Swiss population does. Significant differences can be found within the data of the surveyed migrant population, for example depending on gender, age, residence status or nationality.