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Language Barriers and Immigrant Health

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  • Andrew Clarke
  • Ingo E. Isphording

Abstract

We study the impact of language deficiency on the health status of childhood migrants to Australia. Our identification strategy relies on a quasi‐experiment comparing immigrants arriving at different ages and from different linguistic origins. In the presence of considerable non‐classical measurement error in self‐reported language proficiency, our results provide lower and upper bounds for a strong negative effect of English deficiency on health of between one half and a full standard deviation in the health score. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Clarke & Ingo E. Isphording, 2017. "Language Barriers and Immigrant Health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(6), pages 765-778, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:26:y:2017:i:6:p:765-778
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.3358
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    Cited by:

    1. Capri Ka Po Kong & Miu Chung Yan & Sean Lauer & Shao Hua Zhan, 2023. "Immigrant Identifications and ICT Use: A Survey Study of Chinese and South Asian Immigrants in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 885-910, June.
    2. Drydakis, Nick, 2020. "Mobile Applications Aiming to Facilitate Immigrants' Societal Integration and Overall Level of Integration, Health and Mental Health: Does Artificial Intelligence Enhance Outcomes?," IZA Discussion Papers 13933, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Asad Islam & Jaai Parasnis, 2022. "Heterogeneous effects of health shocks in developed countries: Evidence from Australia," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(2), pages 471-495, October.
    4. Barisic, Manuela & Jäger, Simon & Manning, Alan & Muñoz, Mathilde & Rinne, Ulf & Stuhler, Jan, 2023. "Einwanderung klug, einfach und fair gestalten: Ein Vorschlag mit doppelter Dividende," IZA Standpunkte 105, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Janisch, Laura M., 2017. "Mental health assimilation of Australian immigrants," Ruhr Economic Papers 728, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    6. Digo Chakraverty & Annika Baumeister & Angela Aldin & Tina Jakob & Ümran Sema Seven & Christiane Woopen & Nicole Skoetz & Elke Kalbe, 2020. "Gender-Specific Aspects of Health Literacy: Perceptions of Interactions with Migrants among Health Care Providers in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Julia Bredtmann & Klaus Nowotny & Sebastian Otten, 2017. "Linguistic Distance, Networks and Migrants’ Regional Location Choice," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1712, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    8. Cahit Guven & Mevlude Akbulut‐Yuksel & Mutlu Yuksel, 2019. "Do English Skills Affect Muslim Immigrants’ Economic and Social Integration Differentially?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 95(310), pages 279-300, September.
    9. Yu Aoki & Lualhati Santiago, 2024. "Where to live? English proficiency and residential location of UK migrants," French Stata Users' Group Meetings 2024 27, Stata Users Group.
    10. Panza, Laura, 2020. "The impact of ethnic segregation on schooling outcomes in Mandate Palestine," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    11. Alberto Ortega & Tyler Ludwig, 2023. "Immigrant English Proficiency, Children’s Educational Performance, and Parental Involvement," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 693-719, June.
    12. Bredtmann, Julia & Nowotny, Klaus & Otten, Sebastian, 2020. "Linguistic distance, networks and migrants’ regional location choice," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    13. Michael Grossman, 2022. "The demand for health turns 50: Reflections," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(9), pages 1807-1822, September.
    14. Aoki, Yu & Santiago, Lualhati, 2024. "Where to live? English proficiency and residential location of UK migrants," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 73-93.
    15. Aoki, Yu & Santiago, Lualhati, 2018. "Speak better, do better? Education and health of migrants in the UK," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1-17.
    16. Rennie Lee & Laxman Bablani, 2023. "Do Asian Immigrants Have Better Mental Health? An Examination of Arrival Cohort and Gender in Australia," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(3), pages 1-29, June.
    17. Aoki, Yu & Santiago, Lualhati, 2018. "Deprivation, Segregation, and Socioeconomic Class of UK Immigrants: Does English Proficiency Matter?," IZA Discussion Papers 11368, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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