Is migrating to Australia bad for expat health

Most immigrants fleeing to Oz to escape cold winters in their home country and enjoy a better lifestyle believe that their overall health will improve as a result, but recent research may suggest otherwise.

A recently-released study by Deakin University Research Institute’s assistant professor Santosh Jatrana suggests that, at least for long-stay migrants, moving to the sunny country can mean worse health after 20 years’ residency.

The study looked at the average health of newly-arrived migrants as against that of immigrants who’d stayed for 20 years or more. Apparently, long-stay immigrants in Australia tend to develop the same chronic health problems as locally born residents.

The author of the study finds the results disturbing, and suggests that they may also apply to other countries attracting high numbers of immigrants. Professor Jatarna told reporters that emigrants to the USA, UK and Canada are likely to be similarly affected after several decades, adding that the study’s findings could impact on immigration policies internationally.

Reports from immigrant groups compared with those of the native population revealed similar chronic conditions including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and respiratory disease. Jatarna believes that migrant health in general is impacted by the stress of emigrating, discrimination in the new country, language difficulties, changes in diet and lifestyle, smoking and drinking excess alcohol.

Limited access to preventative healthcare amongst migrant communities may cause problems, with sociocultural barriers not helping, she said. Reluctance to report chronic illness may also be a problem in certain immigrant communities due to the high cost of healthcare.