Self-reported anxiety, sleeping problems and pain among Turkish-born immigrants in Sweden.
OBJECTIVE
To study whether symptoms of self-reported anxiety, sleeping problems and severe pain are more common among Turkish-born immigrants in Sweden than among Swedes, and whether age and socio-economic status can explain this hypothesised difference.


METHODS
Two random samples were studied -- the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare Immigrant Survey, and the Swedish Annual Level-of-Living Survey, both from 1996. A total of 526 Turkish-born immigrants in Sweden were compared with 2,854 Swedish controls, all aged between 27 and 60 years. Data were analysed by sex, in an age-adjusted model; and a full model also included age, education, marital status, employment and country of origin (logistic regression).


RESULTS
In the full model, odds ratios were 2.12 (1.43-3.15) for anxiety, 2.60 (1.82-3.72) for sleeping problems, and 2.14 (1.50-3.05) for severe pain among Turkish-born men, and 2.44 (1.69-3.53) for anxiety, 3.01 (2.09-4.33) for sleeping problems, and 2.59 (1.80-3.71) for severe pain among Turkish-born women, using the Swedish controls as references.


CONCLUSIONS
Being a Turkish-born immigrant in Sweden significantly increases the risks for self-reported anxiety, sleeping problems and severe pain, even after adjusting for age and socio-economic status (education, marital status and employment).
Steiner
Kristin Hjörleifsdottir
KH
Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. kristin_hjorleifsdottir@yahoo.com
Johansson
Sven-Erik
SE
Sundquist
Jan
J
Wändell
Per E
PE
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000208:ethnology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology