International migration and health: it is time to go beyond conventional theoretical frameworks

Abstract

The large-scale international migration in the 21st century has emerged as a major threat to the global health equity movement. Not only has the volume of migration substantially increased but also the patterns of migration have become more complex. This paper began by focusing on the drivers of international migration and how health inequalities are linked to migration. Situating migration within the broader structural contexts, the paper calls for using the unharnessed potential of the intersectionality framework to advance immigrant health research. Despite coming from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds and facing disparities in the host society, the immigrants are often paradoxically shown to be healthier than the native population, although this health advantage diminishes over time. Studies on immigrant health, however, are traditionally informed by the acculturation framework which holds the assimilation of unhealthy lifestyles primarily responsible for immigrant health deterioration, diverting the attention away from the structural factors. Although the alternative structural framework came up with the promise to explore the structural factors, it is criticised for an overwhelming focus on access to healthcare and inadequate attention to institutional and societal contexts. However, the heterogeneity of the immigrant population across multiple dimensions of vulnerability demands a novel approach that can bring to the fore both premigratory and postmigratory contextual factors and adequately capture the picture of immigrant health. The paper concludes by questioning the acculturation perspective and pushing the structural paradigm to embrace the intersectionality framework which has the potential to address a wide range of vulnerabilities that intersect to produce health inequalities among the immigrants.

Representation of gender in migrant health studies – a systematic review of the social epidemiological literature

“…The same applies to the dimension of migration, as most of the studies assess the health of migrants from an acculturation perspective and thereby place the burden of poor health statuses on individuals. Emphasising the need to investigate the structural dimension moves the responsibility of better health from the (disadvantaged) individuals to the (oppressing) system-level actors [ 120 – 122 ]. It is a renewed call for action, guided by the principles of equity in health and social justice [ 108 , 123 ].…”

The Intersections of Ethnicity, Nativity Status and Socioeconomic Position in Relation to Periodontal Status: A Cross-Sectional Study in London, England

“…On the contrary, an intersectionality framework posits that multiple social dimensions/identities (such as ethnicity, immigration status and SEP) intersect at the individual level of day-to-day experiences to reflect the various interlocking systems of power, privilege and oppression at the structural level that perpetuate health inequalities (such as racism, xenophobia and classism) [ 17 , 18 ]. Recognising these multiple intersecting dimensions is paramount to understand how immigration status interacts with other social determinants of health to engender health inequalities [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

Forced evictions and their social and health impacts in Southern Somalia: a qualitative study in Mogadishu Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps

“…There has, however, been very little research in Somalia and in other humanitarian settings, that explicitly acknowledges the linkages between these social and economic impacts and health. A number of conceptual frameworks have been used to examine the relationship between migration and health [ 37 , 43 , 44 ], however these frameworks fail to elucidate the linkages between forced evictions and health. The conceptual framework presented in this paper makes explicit the independent and interdependent health, social and economic impacts of forced evictions.…”