Determinanti di salute nei migranti irregolari con patologie croniche: analisi degli accessi all’ambulatorio di una organizzazione non governativa [Health determinants in irregular migrants with chronic diseases: analysis of the accesses to the clinic of a non-governmental organization]

Introduction. Of the 112 thousand irregular migrants in Lombardy, 49 thousand reside in the area of Milan. Data on their health conditions and needs are scarce and fragmented, especially about their socio-demographic and clinical determinants. Aim. To describe the main socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of irregular migrants with chronic diseases who access the clinic of a non-governmental organization that provides primary care and their association with the number of accesses. Method. Retrospective observational study of a dataset containing information on irregular migrants with chronic diseases (N = 411) carried out at the Naga Onlus clinic in 2017. Results. The males come essentially from Africa and are often affected by back pain or low back pain (BP-LBP); females, mostly from East Europe or Central-South America, are frequently hypertensive. Up to 24 years of age, anxiety or depression prevails; at 25-44 years BP-LBP, at 45-64 years diabetes and in advanced age, hypertension. The knowledge of a EU language and the diagnosis of BP-LBP are respectively positively and negatively associated to the number of accesses. Discussion. Following the progressive aging with the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, marginalization and stigma, the "healthy migrant" effect once characterizing irregular migrants is being replaced by the "exhausted migrant" effect and the assimilation of a state of health similar to that of native counterparts.