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Examining Pre-migration Health Among Filipino Nurses

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Abstract

The healthy immigrant hypothesis asserts that immigrants arrive in the receiving country healthier than same race/ethnic counterparts born there. Contemporary research, however, has not evaluated pre-migration health among migrants, nor has explicitly considered comparisons with non-migrants in the country of origin. Pre-migration health was examined among 621 Filipino nurses, including self-reported physical health, mental health, health behaviors, and social stress. Measures were compared by intention to migrate and also tested as predictors of actual migration using time-to-event analysis. Nurses intending to migrate had higher proportion of depression and reported higher general perceived stress compared to those not. Predictors of actual migration included age, mentally unhealthy days, social strain, and social support. Physical health and health behavior measures had no association with migration intention or actual migration. Findings suggest that, relative to those not intending to migrate, nurses intending to migrate have worse mental health status and social stress; and, do not have a physical health advantage. Future research must span the pre- to post-migration continuum to better understand the impact of moving from one country to another on health and well-being.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health–National Center for Research Resources (Grant 5KL2RR025015), and, the Department of Psychosocial and Community Health, and Intramural Research Program (Van Hooser Research Fund) at the University of Washington School of Nursing. The authors wish to acknowledge the Occupational Health Nurses Association of the Philippines, Inc.; the Philippine Nurses Association; Mr. Eularito Tagalog; Ms. Anna Espano; Ms. Mercedes Castillo; Ms. Cecilia Rodriguez; Dr. Leah Primitiva G. Samaco-Paquiz; Dr. Teresita Barcelo; Dr. Annabelle Borromeo; and Mr. Arthur Cantos; for their assistance with this research. NIOSH disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Washington – Bothell, Box 358532, Bothell, WA, 98011-8246, USA

    A. B. de Castro

  2. School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Gilbert Gee

  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Kaori Fujishiro

  4. School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Tessa Rue

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  1. A. B. de Castro
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Correspondence to A. B. de Castro.

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de Castro, A.B., Gee, G., Fujishiro, K. et al. Examining Pre-migration Health Among Filipino Nurses. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 1670–1678 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0131-7

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