Healthcare Services Utilization Among Migrants in Portugal: Results From the National Health Survey 2014

Abstract

Migrants’ health is attracting substantial global interest. We aimed to identify barriers and differences in healthcare services utilization between migrants and natives in a nationally representative sample using data from the National Health Survey 2014. A total of 18,165 participants providing information on country of birth and nationality were included, and comparison of healthcare services utilization was made by using participants born in Portugal and with Portuguese nationality as the reference group. Migrants reported a lower frequency of medical visits, a higher consumption of medication without a prescription and less use of preventive care services. The main reasons for not attending medical consultations among migrants were the absence of need and financial difficulties. This study illustrates inequalities in healthcare use among migrants in Portugal, and provides useful information for enlightening policymakers and healthcare providers to develop health policies that can address migrants’ needs.