Immigrant Status and Unmet Health Care Needs
Date
2005
Authors
Wu, Zheng
Penning, Margaret J.
Schimmele, Christoph M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Canadian Journal of Public Health/Revue Canadienne de Sante Publique
Abstract
Objectives: To compare whether unmet health needs differ between immigrants and nonimmigrants,
and examine whether help-seeking characteristics account for any unmet
needs disparities.
Methods: The data are from the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.1,
conducted by Statistics Canada in 2000-2001. The study sample includes 16,046
immigrants and 102,173 non-immigrants aged 18 and older from across Canada. The
study employs logistic regression models to examine whether help-seeking behaviours
explain unmet needs differences.
Results: Logistic regression analysis indicates that immigrants have a 12% (95% CI: 6-18)
lower all-cause unmet needs risk (odds ratio) than non-immigrants after controlling for
differences in help-seeking characteristics. The unmet needs risk among long-term
immigrants (15 years of residence and more), however, is similar to non-immigrants after
considering these characteristics. We found differences between immigrants and nonimmigrants
in reasons for unmet needs, with more immigrants believing that the care
would be inadequate, not knowing where to access health care, and having foreign
language problems.
Conclusions: The Canadian health care system delivers sufficient health care to
immigrants, even though the poverty rate and proportion of visible minorities are
comparatively higher within this subpopulation. Nonetheless, these results indicate that
some immigrant-specific health care access barriers may exist.
Description
Keywords
Health services needs, Access to health care, Immigration
Citation
Wu, Z., Penning, M.J. & Schimmele, C.M. (2005). Immigrant Status and Unmet Health Care Needs. Canadian Journal of Public Health/Revue Canadienne de Sante Publique, 96(5), 369-373.