Linguistic Integration and Immigrant Health: The Longitudinal Effects of Interethnic Social Capital

Abstract

The literature on immigrant health has by and large focused on the relationship between acculturation (often measured by a shift in language use) and health outcomes, paying less attention to network processes and the implications of interethnic integration for long-term health. This study frames English-language use among immigrants in the United States as a reflection of bridging social capital that is indicative of social network diversity. Using longitudinal data on self-rated health and the incidence of chronic conditions from the New Immigrant Survey (2003, 2007), I examine the contemporaneous and longitudinal associations between interethnic social capital and health. The results show evidence for a positive long-term effect of linguistic integration on health status, but no cross-sectional associations were observed. Overall, these results highlight the possible role of network processes in linking English-language use with immigrant health and the time-dependent nature of the relationship between linguistic integration and health status.

Changes in Self-Rated Health Right After Immigration: A Panel Study of Economic, Social, Cultural, and Emotional Explanations of Self-Rated Health Among Immigrants in the Netherlands

“…In the social domain, immigrant integration literature assumes that with a longer time of stay in the receiving country, immigrants expand their social network (Martinovic et al, 2008). Reduction of loneliness, by way of obtaining social contacts, will positively affect self-rated health (Hawkley et al, 2003;Cacioppo et al, 2010;Fokkema and Naderi, 2013;Tegegne, 2018). Social support and/or social capital is theorized and found to be highly relevant for well-being (Arpino and de Valk, 2018), lowering loneliness (De Jong Gierveld et al, 2015), and increasing selfrated health (Finch and Vega, 2003;Riosmena et al, 2017).…”

Health Literacy as a Shared Capacity: Does the Health Literacy of a Country Influence the Health Disparities among Immigrants?

“…This may contribute to health inequalities. For immigrants, these aspects are particularly relevant due to linguistic and cultural barriers [11,12]. Moreover, since HL is the balance of individual skills and the demands coming from the context, it may change with time and circumstances, thus people may be considered health-literate in one country but not in another [5].…”

Perceived Discrimination, Psychological Distress and Cardiovascular Risk in Migrants in Spain

“…Therefore, they have less access to preventive and early detection test [13]. Language and cultural barriers contribute to make this situation more difficult for immigrants [14,15]. Consequently, immigrants are more likely to be in higher risk due to not having been diagnosed or because conditions such as hypertension and dyslipidemia are not being followed [16].…”