A double burden? Understanding health inequality by gender and migratory status in France

A large body of literature shows gender inequality in health outcomes and a health gap between non-recent migrants and the native-born population despite the positive selection at the start (the so-called ‘healthy immigrant effect’). Evidence suggests that women experience poorer health outcomes, particularly in terms of mental health. From an intersectional perspective, some studies have highlighted the social, economic, political and health disadvantages that migrant women may face simultaneously. However, very few studies have assessed and explained the potential double burden on health faced by migrant women. This paper contributes to the literature by investigating the presence of a double burden among immigrant women across various health outcomes, using data from the longitudinal survey “Conditions de Travail” (2013 – 2019). Our findings confirm a gender gap and a migratory gap, but not of a systematic double burden. By controlling for time-invariant heterogeneity, we found a significant difference in mental health between non-immigrant and immigrant women, with the latter experiencing higher levels of depression, even when exposed to equivalent levels of work strain and negative past events (abuse in childhood, divorce, death of a close relative, etc.). Also, differences in activity limitations and depression are largely attributable to non-EU, more recent and naturalized migrant women. This residual inequality in physical and mental health likely reflects heterogeneous time-varying experiences, such as discrimination.

—