title: [Immigration and health: Social inequalities between native and immigrant populations in the Basque Country (Spain)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze health inequalities between native and immigrant populations in the Basque Country (Spain) and the role of several mediating determinants in explaining these differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed in the population aged 18 to 64 years in the Basque Country. We used data from the Basque Health Survey 2007 (n=4,270) and the Basque Health Survey for Immigrants 2009 (n=745). We calculated differences in health inequalities in poor perceived health between the native population and immigrant populations from distinct regions (China, Latin America, the Maghreb and Senegal). To measure the association between poor perceived health and place of origin, and to adjust this association by several mediating variables, odds ratios (OR) were calculated through logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immigrants had poorer perceived health than natives in the Basque Country, regardless of age. These differences could be explained by the lower educational level, worse employment status, lower social support, and perceived discrimination among immigrants, both in men and women. After adjustment was performed for all the variables, health status was better among men from China (OR: 0.18; 95% confidence interval [CI95%]: 0.04-0.91) and Maghreb (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.08-0.91) and among Latin American women (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.14-0.92) than in the native population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show the need to continue to monitor social and health inequalities between the native and immigrant populations, as well as to support the policies that improve the socioeconomic conditions of immigrants.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermería I, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España. Electronic address: elena.rodriguez@ehu.es.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sociología 2, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: González-Rábago
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sociología 2, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España.
authors.forename: Amaia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bacigalupe
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sociología 2, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España.
authors.forename: Unai
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermería I, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España.
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lanborena Elordui
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000208:ethnology; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D011203:Poverty; D011287:Prejudice; D012675:Senegal / Q000208:ethnology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Desigualdades sociales en salud; Discriminación; Discrimination; Immigration; Inmigración; Social inequalities in health