Question

Question: What makes immigration a social determinant of health, give examples from the structural framework approach to health and immigration?

(In the article Immigration as a Social Determinant of Health by Castaneda H. et al, )

Answer 1

Immigration is a consequence of social determinants, such as poverty, occupational and educational opportunities, and political persecution, immigration must also be positioned as a social determinant in its own right.

We argue that if substantive changes in health outcomes are to be achieved, immigration must be treated as a health determinant itself. Being an immigrant limits behavioral choices and, indeed, often directly impacts and significantly alters the effects of other social positioning, such as race/ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status, because it places individuals in ambiguous and often hostile relationships to the state and its institutions, including health services.