[Socioeconomic determinants in immigrant families].
BACKGROUND
In the last few years, the number of immigrant families in Spain has greatly increased, which has challenged healthcare services and posed new health problems.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the main social risk factors present in an immigrant population group in order to take active measures to ensure the appropriate development of children in this population.


METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional study consisting of interviews with 179 foreign women with children under 1 year of age attending a public healthcare program.


RESULTS
Most of the women were from Latin America (80 %), 11 % were from Morocco, and the remaining women were from other countries. A total of 14.5 % had university studies. In general, the women worked in domestic service and only 36 % had the documents required to live in Spain. Fifty-five percent of the women had lost their jobs because of their pregnancy. Most of the families lived in apartments with an average of 2.3 people per room, and 88 % shared their residence with other people. Twenty-five percent of the women had their first child before the age of 18 years. Pregnancy was unwanted in 50 % of the women. Seventy-one percent of deliveries were normal, and 83 % of the women breast-fed their children. Ninety-eight percent of the children were correctly vaccinated and 95 % visited a pediatrician regularly.


CONCLUSIONS
The immigrant population is concentrated in the most disadvantaged social strata. Measures that provide adequate social support and healthcare to this population should be established to encourage the appropriate development of their children
Benítez Robredo
T
T
Departamento de Prevención y Promoción de la Salud. Ayuntamiento de Madrid. Spain.
Llerena Achútegui
P
P
López Giménez
R
R
Brugera Moreno
C
C
Lasheras Lozano
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain