Objective: To examine and quantify differences in both self-rated health (SRH) and mortality according to region of origin, migration history and educational level among adolescents and young adults living in the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR).
Design: The data consist of the census of 2001 for the BCR linked to death and emigration records for the period of 01/10/2001-01/01/2006. Belgian, Maghreb, Turkish and sub-Saharan African 15-34 year olds are included in the analyses. Odds ratios are calculated for SRH (0 = poor health, 1 = good health) using logistic regression. Age-standardised mortality rates are computed and mortality rate ratios are shown using Poisson regression.
Results: There are marked health differences according to region of origin. While Maghrebins and Turks (M/T) feel less healthy, sub-Saharan Africans (SSA) feel healthier than Belgians. Furthermore, there are important differences within nationality groups, with second-generation M/T having a worse health status than the first generation. While first-generation SSA feel a lot healthier than Belgians, there is no difference between second-generation SSA and Belgians. Education plays a marked role in health and mortality differences, especially in young adulthood (25-34 years). Migration history is even more important than region of origin concerning mortality differences. First-generation M/T show lower mortality risks compared to Belgians and second-generation M/T, while the latter show comparable mortality risks as Belgians after controlling for education.
Conclusion: Important differences are observed according to both region of origin and migration history among adolescents and young adults in the BCR. These differences significantly reduce when accounting for education, suggesting that investing in education is a public-health strategy worth considering. Further research in this area may benefit from taking migration history into account.