Migrant's access to preventive health services in five EU countries

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Preventive health services (PHSs) are crucial for disease screening and prevention.
• Migrants exhibit distinct health beliefs and risk factors compared to native populations.
• Access to PHSs can be challenging for migrants, even in countries with universal healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare access to preventive health services between migrant and native populations.
• To investigate access disparities in five European Union (EU) countries.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from Health Interview Surveys in Belgium, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Spain.
• Analyzed access to mammography, Pap smears, colorectal cancer screening, and flu vaccination.
• Employed a mixed-effects multilevel model to calculate the risk of non-access, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

• Migrants, particularly non-EU citizens, demonstrated poorer access to PHSs.
• The risk of not accessing screening tests or flu vaccination was 1.8 to 4.4 times higher for migrants.
• Limited access for non-EU migrants was notably observed in Italy and Belgium.

Conclusions:

• Findings align with existing literature on migrant health disparities.
• Poor health service organization in Italy and inadequate health policies in Belgium may contribute to access issues.
• There is a critical need for migrant-sensitive prevention strategies and policies to remove access barriers and address intersectional discrimination.