Comparative health assessment among migrants and Germans: combined results of a school health examination and a health survey among parents

Previous studies on the health of migrants in Germany focus either on the health of children or on that of adults of ethnic minorities in comparison to the German population. In our study the health status of preschool-aged children and their parents among Germans and ethnic minorities was studied and interlinked.

A cross-sectional study in 2001-2002 in Germany linked medical data on children at school entry and survey data on their parents to assess medical diagnoses, health, and well-being.

The sample contains data of 525 records of both children and their parents (258 migrants, 267 Germans). The highest prevalence rates are found for diseases of the motor system, coordination, vision and hearing, behavioral disorders and speech and language impairment. Prevalence rates of medically diagnosed diseases among the children differ between migrants and Germans, as well as between boys and girls. Our data indicate that the specific ethnic background may play an important role for behavioral disorders and speech and language impairment. The parental self-reported health status shows a generally good health status for Germans and migrants, although Germans reported significantly more physical health problems. A combination of health data of children and parents revealed a higher prevalence of asthma, allergy and respiratory diseases among children of parents with partially impaired health compared to those of healthy parents.

Since social factors and ethnic background partly explain differences in the health status of migrants and Germans, a combined health assessment of children and parents might be a useful additional tool to estimate the health status of ethnic minorities. Further development of health questionnaires and health indices applicable to children and their parents would be required to improve the methodological approach for such studies.