Different Outcomes for Different Health Measures in Immigrants: Evidence from a Longitudinal Analysis of the National Population Health Survey (1994–2006)

The response of immigrants to new societies is dynamic. There may be an initial period of happiness followed by peaks of stressful
periods. These reactions along with socio-economic changes are likely to influence their health, which may start converging
towards the average health of the host population. We used a longitudinal analysis to assess the differences in health outcomes
(mental health and self-rated health), separately in men and women, in Canadian born and immigrants over a 12-year period
(and the associated socio-economic factors). We used random effects logistic regression models for evaluation of these health
outcomes in 3,081 men and 4,187 women from the National Population Health Survey (1994/95 to 2006/07). After adjusting for
all the covariates, non-white immigrants were less likely to have severe psychological distress compared with the Canadian
born individuals [odds ratio (OR) Men: 0.49, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.24–1.00, Women-OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32–0.92].
Immigrant women (white and non-white) were more likely to rate their health as poor through this 12-year period than the Canadian
born women (White-OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.17–2.64; Non-white-OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.01–3.28). Immigrants in the lowest income adequacy
category reported higher psychological distress and poorer health than those in the highest income categories. We did not
find any significant differences in the mental health and self-rated health of Canadian men and white male immigrants throughout
this 12-year period. Though, non-white immigrant women were less likely to have severe psychological distress through this
12 year period, they were the ones most likely to rate their health as poor.