When migration wears you down: insights on health decline from Italy

Elisa Barbiano di Belgiojoso , University of Milano-Bicocca
Stefania M.L. Rimoldi, University of Milano-Bicocca
Eleonora Trappolini, University of Milan-Bicocca

International migration is a key driver of health inequalities across Europe. Although migrants often face socioeconomic disadvantages and barriers to healthcare access, they tend to report better health than native-born populations upon arrival—a phenomenon known as the healthy immigrant effect. However, this health advantage typically diminishes over time, leading to what is referred to as the exhausted migrant effect. This decline is attributed to negative acculturation, resettlement stress, and interactions between personal and environmental factors. This study investigates the health deterioration of migrants in Italy using data from the MIGHTY Survey (2025), conducted in the Lombardy and Marche regions. It focuses on changes in self-rated health before and after migration. We use a random-effects ordinal logistic regression model with dependent variable the self-rated health measured on a 5-point scale. The preliminary findings indicate a significant decline in health after migration. Poorer health is also associated with older age, female gender, lower education levels, and being single. Predicted probabilities show a notable shift: the proportion of migrants reporting good or very good health decreases after migration, while reports of fair, bad, or very bad health increase. Despite the cross-sectional nature of the data, these findings provide valuable insights into migrant health trajectories and the mechanisms of post-migration health decline.

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 Presented in Session P4. Migration, Migrants, and Mobility