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

Abstract

Objectives: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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 sys..