Intermarriage and mortality among Finnish migrants in Sweden: a prospective register study using binational data

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Intermarriage is a potential pathway for health behavior convergence between migrants and natives.
• However, the impact of intermarriage on migrant health outcomes remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate mortality patterns among Finnish migrants in Sweden based on their spouse's country of birth.
• To compare these patterns with native populations in Sweden and Finland.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Swedish and Finnish register data for married Finnish migrants (aged 40-64) and reference groups in 1999.
• Employed direct matching and inverse probability weighting to control for sociodemographic factors.
• Analyzed all-cause, alcohol-related, smoking-related, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality from 2000-2017.

Main Results:

• Finnish men married to Swedish-born spouses exhibited lower all-cause and CVD mortality, similar to native Swedes.
• Finnish women married to Swedish-born spouses had higher smoking-related mortality, mirroring native Swedish women.
• Intermarried Finnish men showed reduced alcohol-related mortality, adjusted for marriage duration.

Conclusions:

• Intermarriage with a native spouse can lead to the convergence of health behaviors and related mortality between migrants and natives.
• Spousal influence appears significant in shaping health trajectories for migrant populations.