The Nativity Wealth-Health Gradient: The Case of Norway

Bettina Hünteler, Kinship Inequalities Research Group (MPIDR) | Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology (University of Cologne)
Dina Maskileyson , University of Luxembourg

This study examines the nativity wealth-health gradient in Norway. Specifically, it tests whether and to what extent the wealth-health nexus differs between immigrant groups defined by their region of origin or reason for migration and the native-born population. Using 2017 register data, the study includes 599,567 first-generation immigrants and 2,917,335 native-born individuals aged 27 and older. We estimate Poisson regression models predicting health, measured as a set of health problems diagnosed by a general practitioner during consultation in the last year, by relative wealth comparing Norwegian natives and the entire immigrant population. Results suggest that, as expected, the wealth-health gradient for Norwegian natives is largely flat, with at most a slight positive correlation, indicating that wealth plays a minor role in their overall health. In contrast, the gradient clearly differs among immigrant groups. Nordic immigrants exhibit a gradient similar to that of Norwegian natives, despite their worse health overall. Immigrants from the EU and non-EU countries, as well as those who came for work and as refugees, show a parabolic gradient. This indicates a stronger relationship between health and wealth for these immigrant groups, generally, with better health only observed among wealthier immigrants. Concluding, our study challenges the assumption of a universal wealth-health relationship and highlights its intricate interplay with migration.

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 Presented in Session P2. Health, Mortality, Ageing - Aperitivo