Changes in income inequality and the health of immigrants

Abstract

Research suggests that income inequality is inversely associated with health. This association has been documented in studies that utilize variation in income inequality across countries or across time from a single country. The primary criticism of these approaches is their inability to account for potential confounders that are associated with income inequality. This paper uses variation in individual experiences of income inequality among immigrants within the United States (U.S.) to evaluate whether individuals who moved from countries with greater income inequality than the U.S. have better health than those who migrated from countries with less income in equality than the U.S. Utilizing individual-level (March Current Population Survey) and country-level data (the United Nations Human Development Reports), we show that among immigrants who have resided in the U.S. between 6 and 20 years, self-reported health is more favorable for the immigrants in the former category (i.e., greater income inequality) than those in the latter (i.e., lower income inequality). Results also show that self-reported health is better among immigrants from more developed countries and those who have more years of education, are male, and are married.

Variation in mortality among migrants from Islamic countries: Do religious holidays and socio‐economic situation affect mortality rates?

“…For intermediately recent (last 10 years) immigrants, the risks are elevated for individuals aged 16–55. Considering that many of the recent immigrants come from conflict ridden regions, the increased mortality risks are in line with earlier research, linking the migration event and the situation in country of origin and health (see for instance Villarroel & Artazcoz, ; Hamilton & Kawachi, ). That mortality risks associated with recent immigration drop if older individuals are included in the population (all above 15, rather than 16–55) may be the result of multigenerational family immigration, where the assistance of family members may ease the stress associated with immigration.…”

“…International studies regarding health and mortality among immigrants from similar backgrounds migrating to western societies render similar results as in the Swedish case (see for instance, Read et al, ; Villarroel & Artazcoz, ; Hamilton & Kawachi, ; Wang & Hu, ).…”

“…However, for migrants from countries in and around the Middle East, health is reported to be equal or worse compared to the health of individuals in the local population (Read et al, ; Vincent, Van Oyen, & Thomas, ). Health of immigrants is also dependant on the economic situation in the country of origin, characteristics of the migration process, and the degree of deprivation in the neighbourhood of residence in the country of destination (Hamilton & Kawachi, ; Villarroel & Artazcoz, ; Wang & Hu, ).…”

Income inequality and health: A causal review

“…Interesting evidence comes from a study by Hamilton and Kawachi (Hamilton & Kawachi, 2013), which assessed whether or not individuals who migrated to the USA from countries with greater income inequality than the USA have better health than those who migrated from countries with less income inequality. Among immigrants who lived in the USA between 6 and 20 years, those for whom moving to the USA was a move towards greater equality had better self-reported health than those for whom it was a move towards greater inequality.…”

Social capital and immigrant integration

“…There seems to be a durable effect of gender on the incidence of chronic conditions among immigrants (observed across all models of chronic conditions), that suggests a higher incidence of chronic conditions upon female immigrants both upon migration and years after migration. With regard to race, black immigrants reported fewer chronic conditions upon migration (Model 1), which seems consistent with the literature that finds that black immigrants, particularly immigrants from Africa, often report better health status than other immigrant groups (Hamilton and Kawachi 2013). A similar black advantage was observed in 2007 (Model 2).…”