[Sociodemographic variables and lifestyle as predictors of self-perceived health in immigrants in the Basque Country [Spain]].

Objective: To explore the importance of socio-demographic factors as well as life-style and their influence in self-rated health of Maghribian, Sub-Saharian, Latin-American and non-Communitarian European immigrant groups living in the Basque Country (Spain).

Methods: Descriptive cross-study with a convenience sample of 689 persons, consisting of 219 Maghribians (31.8%), 152 Sub-Saharians (22.1%), 167 Latino(a)s (24.2%) and 151 non-Communitarian Europeans (21.9%). Data base have been completed with data collected using the 2002 Regional Basque Health Interview Survey (ESCAV 2002). The multivariate analysis was performed by using the dicotomic logistic regression (software SPSS 13).

Results: We found that 64.2% of Maghribian, 78.7% of Sub-Saharian, 66.1% of Latin-American and 67.1% of non-Communitarian European assessed their health as very good or good. The significantly associated variables (p<0.05 and p<0.01) with self-rated health were collective membership, sex and age. Persons belonging to the Sub-Saharian collective showed a stronger advantage of positively self-assessed health (OR=2.08; 95%CI: 1.29-3.36). This advantage was also found among men of all four collectives (OR=2.16, 95%CI: 1.54-3.02) and in persons in the age of 33-38 years (OR=3.13, 95%CI: 1.71-5.73). Those variables remained significant in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrated the importance of considering differences in the health status and in self-rated health among immigrant groups, as well as the variables associated with those differences, when developing community-based health strategies.