Correlates of Primary Healthcare Access and the Moderating Effects of Gender: A Cross Sectional Analysis of Irish Migrants

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health 2022-04, Vol.24 (2), p.546-550
• Main Author: Moore, Jeff
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action research; Brief Communication; Community based action research; Community research; Comparative Law; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; Employment; Family physicians; Gender; Gender relations; Health care; Health care access; Health promotion; Health services; Health Services Accessibility; Health status; Help seeking behavior; Humans; International & Foreign Law; Male; Males; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Migrants; Primary care; Primary Health Care; Private International Law; Public Health; Research projects; Self evaluation; Social interactions; Social Support; Sociology; Transients and Migrants
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-021-01208-5

Despite long established comparatively poor health outcomes there has been limited research into the healthcare access of Irish migrants in the UK. This study examines the relationship between demography, self-reported health (SRH) and social support and healthcare access and the influence of gender on these associations. Data was collected as part of a community-based action research project with Irish migrants in London ( n  = 790). Hierarchical logistic regression was used to predict self-reported access to a GP (compared with no reported access). The effect of gender was measured via interactions entered in the second step of the model. Older participants and males were less likely to report GP access. SRH was a significant predictor. Gender moderated the relationship between SRH, social support, employment and GP access. Findings highlight the help-seeking vulnerability of male and older Irish migrants and the potential of social support in promoting healthcare access for males.