Self-reported anxiety, sleeping problems and pain among Turkish-born immigrants in Sweden

To study whether symptoms of self-reported anxiety, sleeping problems and severe pain are more common among Turkish-born immigrants in Sweden than among Swedes, and whether age and socio-economic status can explain this hypothesised difference.

Two random samples were studied -- the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare Immigrant Survey, and the Swedish Annual Level-of-Living Survey, both from 1996. A total of 526 Turkish-born immigrants in Sweden were compared with 2,854 Swedish controls, all aged between 27 and 60 years. Data were analysed by sex, in an age-adjusted model; and a full model also included age, education, marital status, employment and country of origin (logistic regression).

In the full model, odds ratios were 2.12 (1.43-3.15) for anxiety, 2.60 (1.82-3.72) for sleeping problems, and 2.14 (1.50-3.05) for severe pain among Turkish-born men, and 2.44 (1.69-3.53) for anxiety, 3.01 (2.09-4.33) for sleeping problems, and 2.59 (1.80-3.71) for severe pain among Turkish-born women, using the Swedish controls as references.

Being a Turkish-born immigrant in Sweden significantly increases the risks for self-reported anxiety, sleeping problems and severe pain, even after adjusting for age and socio-economic status (education, marital status and employment).