Larger-scale immigration is a relatively new phenomenon in Norway. Some immigrant groups now have a longer duration of residence, however, and their Norwegian-born children are entering early adulthood. We have little knowledge about how this group are faring in terms of health and well-being.
These young adults have no own migration experience know the health system and have no language barriers to health services. Being raised by immigrant parents may, however, impact their health in several ways, both directly (for example, through disadvantaged socioeconomic positions, poorer living conditions, parents` perceptions of disease and healthcare-seeking behaviour, and experiences of discrimination) or indirectly (for example, through parental migration-related stress).
The number of young adults who are born and raised in Norway to immigrant parents will increase in the years to come. Promoting the health and well-being of this group is warranted, along with measures to prevent negative consequences of poor health in young age such as unemployment and isolation. There is a knowledge gap in the specific health challenges that this group is facing.
This PhD project draws from Norwegian register data on diagnoses given in specialist health care (the Norwegian Patient Register), data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway as well as data from Statistics Norway on sociodemographic variables.
The project is funded by NMBU under the Norwegian Institute of Public Health project Health among children of immigrants in Norway.
The project aims to contribute to socially sustainable development through assessing the diagnosis received in the transition into adulthood among young people born in Norway to immigrant parents, and how this relates to the use of welfare schemes.
More specifically, the project will first summarize current evidence on health among youth and young adults born in the Nordic countries to immigrant parents. Secondly, it will assess the risk of receiving diagnoses of mental health issues and developmental disorders in specialist health care amongst young adults born in Norway to immigrant parents, compared to their peers with two Norwegian parents. The project will also assess how receiving such diagnoses is related to the use of welfare schemes.
Researchers
NMBU
Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Guido Biele
Research Professor
Child health and development
Melanie Lindsay Straiton
Senior Researcher
Mental health and suicide
