Review article
The Effect of Migration on the Health of Women
Ivo Švel
; Institute for Mother and Child Healthcare, Zagreb, Croatia
Josip Grgurić
; Institute for Mother and Child Healthcare, Zagreb, Croatia
Melita Švob
; Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The effects of work and life in the course of migration have a detrimental effect on the state of health of migrants. Migrant workers are exposed to greater risks to their health than the domestic population. Diseases appear among them that have been eradicated from the population of the host country (infective and parasitic diseases, TBC). The number of invalids increases. Rheumatic illness and disturbances of the circulatory system are more frequent. For women, particularly pronounced are the effects of unfavourable work conditions and heavy family burdens. Preventive check-ups and early diagnostic measures are neglected. There are complications in pregnancy. Perinatal mortality of infants is higher among migrants, and their children are more often afflicted with severe illnesses. In the case of bilocated migrant families in which women take on the duties of the absent family member, adverse effects on their health and on the growth and development of children may also be great. Research on Yugoslav women working abroad has shown that their state of health is impaired, and the same has been confirmed among women who have returned home from abroad (returnee migrants).
Keywords
migration; health; women migrants
Hrčak ID:
127749
URI
Publication date:
31.12.1990.
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