Origin country conflict and immigrant physical health
Using multiple waves of Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) linked with the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), as well as the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP)/International Peace Research Institute in Oslo (PRIO) Armed Conflict Dataset, we examine the effect of exposure to pre-migration conflict on the post-migration physical health outcomes of immigrants to Canada. To incorporate self-assessed health and diagnosed chronic conditions, we create an index of physical health using principal component analysis. Our results demonstrate that immigrants from conflict zones face physical health challenges that continue post-migration. Better understanding these challenges will help health policy makers and providers to better respond to the needs of people migrating from these regions of the world.
Compton, R., A. Craig, D. Heger and K. Skogstad (2025), Origin country conflict and immigrant physical health. Defence and Peace Economics (forthcoming)