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Which influences the self-reporting of health: country of birth or country of residence? A British analysis using individual-level data Paul Norman 1 , Paul Boyle 2 & Mark Brown 1 1 Centre for Census & Survey Research, University of Manchester
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Which influences the self-reporting of health: country of birth or country of residence? A British analysis using individual-level data Paul Norman1, Paul Boyle2 & Mark Brown1 1 Centre for Census & Survey Research, University of Manchester 2School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St Andrews Thanks to: ESRC RES-163-25-0012 Understanding Population Trends & Processes UK Census data via National Statistics Offices, ESRC, JISC & CCSR
Background • 1991 & 2001 UK Censuses have self-reported health: limiting long-term illness (LLTI) • Differences in LLTI found between England, Wales & Scotland in 1991, difference changed by 2001 • Self-assessed health (e.g. LLTI) strongly correlates with: • Mortality: all cause & cause specific • Morbidity: general health, serious conditions, physical conditions rather than psychological • Sickness benefit claims • True for different countries, populations & question formulations
People from different cultural backgrounds: • May report their health differently to other population sub-groups & from each other in different places at different times • There is potential for self-assessment to be affected by subjective factors • Differences in health between areas and population sub-groups perhaps due to varying interpretations of health • (Bailis et al. 2003) • In terms of LLTI, what constitutes a limiting and/or a long-term illness • (Gooberman-Hill et al. 2003; Senior, 1998) • Self-reported poor health is influenced by expectation and comparison. These may be culturally determined • (Mitchell 2005)
UK Census LLTI research: • Aggregate level • Various geographical scales • (Boyle et al. 1999; Rees 1993/4; Senior 1998) • Individual level microdata • Sample of Anonymised Records (SARs) • (Boyle et al. 2001; Boyle et al. 2002; Borooah 1999; Gould & Jones 1996) • ONS Longitudinal Study • (Bartley & Plewis 1997; Boyle et al. 2004; Harding 2002; Norman et al. 2005; Sloggett & Joshi 1998; Wiggins et al. 2002) • Used as input to local health profiles
Where we live affects our health: • (Macintyre et al. 2002; Tunstall et al. 2004) • Environment most influential on health may not be the conditions contemporary with disease diagnosis or death • (Boyle et al. 2002) • Place of birth & childhood conditions affect later health • (Curtis et al. 2004; Osmond et al. 1990; Kaplan & Salonen, 1991) • Place of residence in middle age influential • (Blane et al. 1996; Elford & Ben-Shlomo 1997) • Relative importance of influences at different life stages found to vary by cause of death • (Davey Smith et al. 1997) • Differences because lag periods between contact with potential risk factors & subsequent health deterioration may vary by condition • (Polissar 1980; Rogerson & Han 2002)
Migration process important: • As we move between residential areas we experience different conditions and meet a range of people against whom we make comparisons when assessing our health • Health differences between migrants and between geographical areas attributed to lifecourse disadvantage • (Brimblecombe et al.2000) • Healthy people migrate into less deprived locations • (Norman et al. 2005) • Ill people may drift towards or becoming ‘stuck’ in deprived places (Boyle et al. 2002) • International migrants tend to be relatively healthy • (Bentham 1988) • For non-migrants changing area characteristics affect health (Boyle et al. 2004)
Health differences between England, Scotland & Wales 1991 & 2001 • Can we compare self-reported measures of illness between countries and culture over time? • (Mitchell 2005) • Is there something about being born in or living in England, Scotland or Wales which affects your health? • For example: • For the population resident in Wales, do those people born in Wales report different health to those born elsewhere? • Do those who are Welsh born report their health differently when resident in another country?
Data • UK Census Sample of Anonymised Records (SARs) for 1991 & 2001 • Study population household residents in England, Scotland & Wales, all resident for at least one year • 1991 SAR (2%) 1,116,181 individuals • 2001 SAR (3%) 1,712,474 individuals • Use of SARs enables variable definitions & modelling not possible with aggregate data • Method • Binary logistic regression • Dependent variable: reporting of LLTI • Models consistent for both 1991 & 2001
Method: Explanatory variables Age-group, Sex, Educational qualification, Ethnicity, Social Class, Access to car, Unemployment, Tenure Country of birth (CoB), Country of residence (CoR) (> 1 year in the country) ‘Country of birth by country of residence’ All variable definitions consistently defined 1991 & 2001
1. Country of residence 1991 2001
2. Country of birth 1991 2001
Conclusions • Odds of LLTI consistent with area models for 1991 • (Rees 1993/4; Senior 1998) • Change by 2001 also consistent with area research • (Mitchell 2005) • International migrants are relatively healthy • (Bentham 1988) • Is there a Welsh-born effect? • Yes, those born in Wales tend to have higher LLTI odds wherever they live • Is there a Wales effect? • Yes, generally, whatever their country of birth, residents in Wales tend to have higher LLTI odds
Conclusions • Is there a Scotland effect for the 1991-2001 change? • Yes. All countries of birth have higher odds in 2001 than in 1991 for residents in Scotland • Is this due to a change in age structure? • No. Scotland’s population is ageing similarly to England and Wales • … Or a loss of healthy Rest of the World-born and gain of less healthy Welsh-born? • No. The population structure by country of birth remains constant • So are people in Scotland more willing to report LLTI or have environmental & socio-economic conditions become worse? • We cannot tell from the SARs
Conclusions How does the influence of Country of Birth compare with the influence of Country of Residence? Country of birth has a significant effect of health, the relative difference between countries is consistent in 1991 & 2001 Country of residence has an additional and potentially variable effect on LLTI odds Findings consistent with early life influences persisting and with people experiencing different effects as their location & personal circumstances change How else can we compare self-reported measures of illness between British countries and culture over time? Transitions using the longitudinal data