title: Self-perceived need for interpreter among immigrants in Denmark.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Starting in June 2011, immigrants who have lived for more than 7 years in Denmark have to pay a user-fee for interpreters in GP consultations and when hospitalised. We do not know yet how many immigrants will be affected by this amendment to the Danish Health Act and which socioeconomic factors characterise the immigrants who might be affected. To shed light on this, we investigated self-perceived need for interpreter (SNI) in GP consultations among participants from the largest non-Western immigrant groups in Denmark, the association between socioeconomic factors and SNI, and the characteristics of the immigrants potentially affected by the act amendment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey data on 2866 immigrants from former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Somalia, and Turkey, linked to registry information on socioeconomic factors were examined. We compared unadjusted proportions of SNI by country of birth. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate associations between SNI and socioeconomic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 20% of immigrants living longer than 3 years in Denmark and 15% after 7 years reported a need for interpretation in their encounters with GPs. Of the latter group, the majority were outside the labour force (72.3%) and reported poor health (56%). Sex, age, length of stay, education, employment and household income were important factors for SNI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amendment to the Health Act will primarily affect immigrants with modest household income, poor health and who are outside the labour force, thereby contributing and creating ethnic and social inequalities in access to health care in Denmark.
authors: Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health (MESU), Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. wkt530@alumni.ku.dk
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Harpelund
authors: Signe Smith
authors: SS
authors: Nielsen
authors: Allan
authors: A
authors: Krasnik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003718:Denmark; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D013997:Time Factors; D014175:Translating; D055815:Young Adult; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000208:ethnology