See the published version of this article at BMC Public Health.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Health status of female Moldovan immigrants to Italy by health literacy level and age group: a descriptive study
Alessandra Buja
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2216-3807
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Public Health.
Background: Migration flows from Eastern Europe to Italy have been large and continue to grow. The purpose of this study was to examine the health status of a population of Moldovan immigrant women, and their access to health care services in northern Italy, by age group and health literacy level.
Methods: We administered an ad-hoc questionnaire to adult Moldovan women to assess their lifestyles, self-reported health status (symptoms and diseases), access to health services, and health literacy. Then, using descriptive statistics, we compared our data with findings for a sample of Italian women of the same age living in the north-east of the country.
Results: Our sample included 170 Moldovan women (aged 46.5 ± 12.3) in five occupational categories: home care workers (28.2%); cleaners (27.1%); health care workers (5.9%); other occupations (28.8%); and unemployed (10%). Active smokers were twice as prevalent among the women with a low health literacy. Health literacy level also determined access to healthcare services: women with a higher health literacy tended to use scheduled health services and screening programs, while those with a lower health literacy relied more on emergency health services. For all age groups, the Moldovan sample reported a higher prevalence of allergies, lumbar disorders and depression than the Italian controls.
Conclusions: The reported prevalence of some diseases was higher among Moldovan immigrant women than among Italian resident women. Health literacy was associated with the immigrant women’s lifestyle and the use of health care services, as previously seen for the autochthonous population.
Keywords
immigrants, health literacy, Italy, health status
Figure 1
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
No comments provided
Submission checks complete
On 17 Sep, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 17 Sep, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 08 Sep, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 17 Aug, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 10 Aug, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 10 Aug, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 10 Aug, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 10 Aug, 2020
Editor assigned
On 06 Aug, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 05 Aug, 2020
Editor invited
On 05 Aug, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 06 Aug, 2020
Editor assigned
On 04 Aug, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 03 Aug, 2020
Editor invited
On 03 Aug, 2020
Version 1
Posted 25 Mar, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 02 Jul, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 26 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 05 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 22 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 04 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Apr, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Mar, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 22 Mar, 2020
Editor invited
On 22 Mar, 2020
First submitted
On 21 Mar, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Learn more about our company.
This preprint is under consideration at BMC Public Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Health status of female Moldovan immigrants to Italy by health literacy level and age group: a descriptive study
Alessandra Buja
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2216-3807
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
No comments provided
Submission checks complete
On 17 Sep, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 17 Sep, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 08 Sep, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 17 Aug, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 10 Aug, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 10 Aug, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 10 Aug, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 10 Aug, 2020
Editor assigned
On 06 Aug, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 05 Aug, 2020
Editor invited
On 05 Aug, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 06 Aug, 2020
Editor assigned
On 04 Aug, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 03 Aug, 2020
Editor invited
On 03 Aug, 2020
Version 1
Posted 25 Mar, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 02 Jul, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 26 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 05 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 22 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 04 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Apr, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Mar, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 22 Mar, 2020
Editor invited
On 22 Mar, 2020
First submitted
On 21 Mar, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Public Health.
Background: Migration flows from Eastern Europe to Italy have been large and continue to grow. The purpose of this study was to examine the health status of a population of Moldovan immigrant women, and their access to health care services in northern Italy, by age group and health literacy level.
Methods: We administered an ad-hoc questionnaire to adult Moldovan women to assess their lifestyles, self-reported health status (symptoms and diseases), access to health services, and health literacy. Then, using descriptive statistics, we compared our data with findings for a sample of Italian women of the same age living in the north-east of the country.
Results: Our sample included 170 Moldovan women (aged 46.5 ± 12.3) in five occupational categories: home care workers (28.2%); cleaners (27.1%); health care workers (5.9%); other occupations (28.8%); and unemployed (10%). Active smokers were twice as prevalent among the women with a low health literacy. Health literacy level also determined access to healthcare services: women with a higher health literacy tended to use scheduled health services and screening programs, while those with a lower health literacy relied more on emergency health services. For all age groups, the Moldovan sample reported a higher prevalence of allergies, lumbar disorders and depression than the Italian controls.
Conclusions: The reported prevalence of some diseases was higher among Moldovan immigrant women than among Italian resident women. Health literacy was associated with the immigrant women’s lifestyle and the use of health care services, as previously seen for the autochthonous population.
Figure 1