This study addresses for the first time in Greece the issue of levels and
patterns of mortality among natives and immigrants, using vital statistics and
census data by citizenship. Life tables are constructed for the two most
numerous communities, Albanians and Bulgarians as well as for all immigrant
populations combined; standardized mortality ratios are estimated for smaller
migrant groups. Albanian males have a slight mortality advantage compared to
natives; all other groups experience higher mortality. Some support for the
“selectivity of migrants” hypothesis is provided as immigrants in several cases
have significantly lower mortality compared to their countries of origin.
Implications for public health policy in Greece are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AnsonJ.2004“The Migrant Mortality Advantage: A 70 Month Follow-up of the
Brussels Population.”European Journal of Population20: 191–218.
2.
ArmitageP.BerryG., and MatthewsJ. N. S.2002Statistical Methods in Medical Research.Oxford: Blackwell
Science.
BlueL., and FenelonA.2011“Explaining low Mortality Among US Immigrants Relative to
Native-Born Americans: The Role of Smoking.”International Journal of Epidemiology40(3):
786–93.
5.
BosV.KunstA. E.Keij-DeerenbergI. M.GarssenJ., and
MackenbachJ. P.2004“Ethnic Inequalities in age- and Cause-Specific Mortality in the
Netherlands.”International Journal of Epidemiology33(5):
1112–9.
6.
BreslowN. E., and DayN. E.1987Statistical Methods in Cancer Research, Vol. II, The Design and
Analysis of Cohort Studies, IARC Scientific Publications No. 82, International
Agency for Research in Cancer. New York, NY:
World Health Organization
(WHO).
7.
CarbaloM.DivinoJ. J., and ZericD.1998“Migration and Health in the European Union.”Tropical Medicine and International Health12(3):
936–44.
8.
ChiangC. L.1978Life Table and Mortality Analysis.Geneva:
WHO.
9.
ChiangC. L.1984The Life Tables and Its Applications.Malabar FL: Robert E. Krieger
Publishing Company.
10.
CunninghamS. A.RubenJ. D., and
NarayanK. M. V.2008“Health of Foreign-Born People in the United States: A
Review.”Health and Place14: 623–35.
11.
DarmonN., and KhlatM.2001“An Overview of the Health Status of Migrants in France, in
Relation to Their Dietary Practices.”Public Health Nutrition4(2):
163–72.
12.
DeboosereP., and GadeyneS.2005“Adult Migrant Mortality Advantage in Belgium: Evidence Using
Census and Register Data.”Population60(5-6):
655–98.
13.
DesMeulesM.GoldJ.McDermottS.CaoZ.PayneJ.LafranceB.VissandjéeB.KliewerE., and MaoY.2005“Disparities in Mortality Patterns Among Canadian Immigrants and
Refugees, 1980–1998: Results of a National Cohort Study.”Journal of Immigrant Health7(4):
221–32.
14.
EayresD., and WilliamsE. S.2004“Evaluation of Methodologies for Small Area Life Expectancy
Estimation.”Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health58: 243–9.
15.
EconomouC., and GiornoC.2009Improving the Performance of the Public Health Care System in
Greece. OECD Economic Department Working Papers, No. 722.
Paris: Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Publishing.
https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.1787/221250170007.
16.
ELSTAT (Hellenistic Statistical
Authority)2013“Announcement of the Demographic and Social Characteristics of
the Resident Population of the Country According to the 2011 Population and
Housing Census, Piraeus 13th August 2013.”Press Release.Athens:
ELSTAT.
ELSTAT (Hellenistic Statistical
Authority)2014b “2011 Population and Housing Census, Demographic and
Social Characteristics of the Resident Population of the Country According
to the Revision of the Results of the 2011 Population-Housing
Census.” Press Release, September 12 (in Greek).
Athens:
ELSTAT. http://www.statistics.gr.
HardingS.2003“Mortality of Migrants From the Indian Subcontinent to England
and Wales: Effect of Duration of Residence.”Epidemiology14: 287–92.
21.
HartmannM.2009Demographic Methods for the Statistical Office, Research and
Development, Methodology Reports From Statistics Sweden 2009: 2.Statistika Centralbyrån.http://www.scb.se.
22.
KentikelenisA.KaranikolosM.PapanicolasI.BasuS.McKeeM., and StucklerD.2011“Health Effects of Financial Crisis: Omens of a Greek
Tragedy.”The Lancet378: 1457–1458. doi:
10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61556-0.
23.
KibeleE.ScholzR., and
ShkolnikovV. M.2008“Low Migrant Mortality in Germany for men Aged 65 and Older: Fact
or Artefact?”European Journal of Epidemiology23: 389–93.
24.
KondilisE.GiannakopoulosS.GavanaM.IerodiakonouI.WaitzkinH., and BenosA.2013“Economic Crisis, Restrictive Policies, and the Population's
Health and Health Care: The Greek Case.”American Journal of Public Health103(6): 973–979.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301126.
25.
LiddellF. D. K.1984“Simple Exact Analysis of the Standardised Mortality
Ratio.”Journal of Epidemiology Community Health38: 85–8.
26.
LlácerA.ZunzuneguiM. V.del AmoJ.MazarrasaL., and BolůmarF.2007“The Contribution of a Gender Perspective to the Understanding of
Migrants’ Health.”Journal of Epidemiology Community Health61(3):
ii4–10.
27.
LorantV.Van OyenH., and ThomasI.2008“Contextual Factors and Immigrants’ Health Status: Double
Jeopardy.”Health and Place14: 678–92.
28.
MarkidesK. S., and
EschbachK.2011“Chapter 11: Hispanic Paradox in Adult Mortality in the United
States.” In International Handbook of Adult
Mortality, International Handbooks of Population 2, edited by
RogersR. G., and
CrimminsE. M.,
227–240. New York,
NY:
Springer.
29.
McDonaldJ. T., and
KennedyS.2004“Insights Into the ‘Healthy Immigrant Effect’: Health Status and
Health Service use of Immigrants to Canada.”Social Science and Medicine59(8):
1613–27.
30.
MossialosE.AllinS., and DavakiK.2005“Analysing the Greek Health Care System: A Tale of Fragmentation
and Inertia.”Health Economics14: S151–68.
31.
Mulvaney-DayaN. E.AlegriaM., and SribneyW.2007“Social Cohesion, Social Support, and Health Among Latinos in the
United States.”Social Science and Medicine64: 477–95.
32.
MurphyS. L.XuJ. Q., and
KochanekK. D.2013Deaths: Final Data for 2010, National Vital Statistics Reports.
vol 61 no 4. Hyattsville:
National Center for Health
Statistics.
33.
RazumO., and TwardellaD.2002“Viewpoint: Time Travel With Oliver Twist-Towards an Explanation
for a Paradoxically low Mortality Among Recent Immigrants.”Tropical Medicine and International Health7(1):
4–10.
34.
RazumO., and TwardellaD.ZeebH., and RohrmannS.2000“Letters to the Editor: The ‘Healthy Migrant Effect’- not Merely
a Fallacy of Inaccurate Denominator Figures.”International Journal of Epidemiology29: 191–2.
35.
RazumO., and TwardellaD.AkgünH. S., and YilmazS.1998“Low Overall Mortality of Turkish Residents in Germany Persists
and Extends Into a Second Generation: Merely a Healthy Migrant
Effect?”Tropical Medicine and International Health3(4):
297–303.
RingbäckW.GullbergA.HjernA., and RosénM.1999“Mortality Statistics in Immigrant Research: Method for Adjusting
Underestimation of Mortality.”International Journal of Epidemiology28: 756–63.
38.
RonellenfitschU., and RazumO.2004“Deteriorating Health Satisfaction Among Immigrants From Eastern
Europe to Germany.”International Journal for Equity in Health3(4):
1–10.
39.
ScherbovS., and EdievD.2011“Significance of Life Table Estimates for Small Populations:
Simulation-Based Study of Standard Errors.”Demographic Research24: 527–50.
40.
SiegelJ. S., and
SwansonP. A.2004“Chapter 12: Mortality.” In The Methods
and Materials of Demography (Second Edition), edited by
SiegelJ. S., and
SwansonD. A.,
265–300.
London: Elsevier and Academic
Press.
41.
SinghG. K., and
SiahpushM.2001“All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality of Immigrants and Native
Born in the United States.”American Journal of Public Health91(3):
392–9.
42.
Solé-AuróA., and CrimminsE. M.2008“Health of Immigrants in European Countries.”International Migration Review42(4):
861–76.
43.
TosonB., and BakerA.2003Life Expectancy at Birth: Methodological Options for Small
Populations. National Statistics Methodological Series No. 33,
Office for National Statistics. Norwich:
Her Majesty's Stationary Office
(HMSO).
44.
TsimbosC.2006“The Impact of Migration on Growth and Ageing of the Population
in a New Receiving Country: The Case of Greece.”International Migration44(4):
232–54.
45.
TsimbosC.KalogirouS., and
VerropoulouG.2014“Estimating Spatial Differentials in Life Expectancy in Greece at
Local Authority Level.”Population, Space and Place20(7):
646–63.
46.
UitenbroekD. G., and
VerhoeffA. P.2002“Life Expectancy and Mortality Differences Between Migrant Groups
Living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.”Social Science and Medicine54: 1379–88.
47.
UN20122011 United Nations Demographic Yearbook.New York, NY: United
Nations.
48.
UN20132012 United Nations Demographic Yearbook.New York, NY: United
Nations.
49.
VerropoulouG., and TsimbosC.2015“Mortality by Cause of Death Among Immigrants and Natives in a
South European Country: The Case of Greece, 2011.”Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health doi:
10.1007/s10903-015-0188-y.
50.
WHO2013World Health Statistics 2014.Geneva: World Health
Organization.
51.
WilliamsE.DinsdaleE.EayresD., and TahzibF.2005Technical Report: Calculating Life Expectancy in Small Areas.South East Public Health Observatory, Oxford:
sepho.
52.
WongS. T.YooG. J., and
StewardA. L.2007“An Empirical Evaluation of Social Support and Psychological
Well-Being in Older Chinese and Korean Immigrants.”Ethnicity and Health12(1):
43–67.
