État de santé et recours aux soins des immigrés en France : une revue de la littérature

The health status of immigrants is considered as a genuine public health concern due to the economic and social fragility that they may experience, which contributes to the deterioration of their health. This review of French studies on migrant health status and access to care suggests the existence of health inequalities related to migration and some disparities according to the country of origin. In addition, the body of evi-dence shows a lesser use of health care among the migrant population, suggesting difficulties in accessing ambulatory care. Finally, the more dis-advantaged economic and social status of immigrants, their lower access to complementary health coverage, and their lower social integration are the most important factors explaining these health and health care inequalities. These studies call for health and social policy reforms designed to improve the health status and health care use of the foreign born population.