Background

Using healthcare, whether for routine preventative examinations, chronic condition management, or emergent conditions, is an essential element of achieving and maintaining health. Over 44 million migrants live in the US today and nearly half (44.6 %) are Latino. To the extent that immigration law-related concerns deter US Latino migrants from using healthcare, they jeopardize the health of a substantial though marginalized US subpopulation.

Methods

A multistate sample (N = 1750) of noncitizen adult, Spanish speaking Latino migrants (both undocumented and documented) living in the US completed a cross-sectional survey comprising a scale assessing perceptions of immigration laws and consequences related to healthcare use and whether they had received and/or needed but did not receive healthcare in the previous 12-months. Participants were recruited in community settings and by word-of-mouth. Univariate analyses examined associations among study outcomes and common predictors of healthcare use. Multivariable analyses examined the relative contribution of perceived immigration laws and consequences on healthcare use and unmet need.

Results

Perceptions of immigration laws and immigration consequences were a significant predictor of not having received healthcare in the previous 12-months and having needed and not received healthcare in the same period, even when considered relative to common predictors of healthcare use. Immigration documentation status and preferred language predicted healthcare use in univariate analyses but not in the multivariable model.

Conclusions

Perceived immigration laws and consequences related to healthcare use may influence migrants’ healthcare use. Effective interventions should be developed to address immigration-related concerns.

中文翻译：

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拉丁裔移民在美国的医疗保健使用情况以及对移民法和后果的看法：多变量分析

背景

使用医疗保健，无论是常规预防性检查、慢性病管理还是紧急情况，都是实现和保持健康的基本要素。如今，超过 4400 万移民生活在美国，其中近一半 (44.6%) 是拉丁裔。如果与移民法相关的担忧阻止美国拉丁裔移民使用医疗保健，它们就会危及大量边缘化美国亚人群的健康。

方法

居住在美国的非公民成年、讲西班牙语的拉丁裔移民（无证和有证）的多州样本（N = 1750）完成了一项横断面调查，其中包括评估对移民法的看法和与医疗保健使用相关的后果以及他们是否有接受和/或需要但在过去 12 个月内没有接受医疗保健。参与者是在社区环境中通过口碑招募的。单变量分析检查了研究结果与医疗保健使用的常见预测因素之间的关联。多变量分析研究了所感知的移民法的相对贡献以及对医疗保健使用和未满足需求的影响。

结果

对移民法和移民后果的看法是过去 12 个月内未接受医疗保健以及同一时期是否需要医疗保健的重要预测因素，即使相对于医疗保健使用的常见预测因素而言也是如此。移民证件状态和首选语言在单变量分析中预测了医疗保健的使用，但在多变量模型中则不然。

结论

所认知的移民法和与医疗保健使用相关的后果可能会影响移民的医疗保健使用。应制定有效的干预措施来解决与移民相关的问题。