Healthy and unhealthy migrant effect on the mortality of immigrants from wealthy countries residing in Spain

This study attempts to identify the possible existence of a healthy migrant effect and an unhealthy migrant effect on the mortality of immigrants from wealthy countries who move to Spain. Immigrants aged 35–64 years from France, Germany, Great Britain and 16 other wealthy OECD countries who resided in Spain were compared with respect to: (1) mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all other diseases and (2) employment status, duration of residence, and educational level, in two geographic areas: the “preferred destination area”—the Mediterranean coast, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands—and the rest of Spain. In general, cancer mortality was lower and mortality from cardiovascular disease was higher in immigrants who resided in the preferred destination area than in their countries of origin and than in immigrants who resided in the rest of Spain. Immigrants in the preferred destination area had a higher percentage of retired persons, longer time of residence and a lower percentage of persons with university education. The largest differences between the two areas in cardiovascular and all-disease mortality and in the frequency of the aforementioned sociodemographic characteristics were observed in British immigrants and those from the 16 OECD countries. Possible explanations for these findings are suggested which are compatible with the presence of an unhealthy and/or healthy immigrant bias in the two areas.