New perspectives on occupational health and safety in immigrant populations: studying the intersection between immigrant background and gender

Objectives. Few studies investigating health inequalities pay attention to the intersection between several social determinants of health. The purpose of this article is to examine the relation between perceptions of work-related health and safety risk (WHSR) and (1) immigrant background and (2) gender in the EU-15. The effects are controlled for educational attainment, the quality of work (QOW) and occupation.

Design. Pooled data from the European Social Survey 2004 and 2010 are used in this study. The sample is restricted to respondents of working age (16–65 years) (N = 17,468). The immigrants are divided into two groups according to their country of origin: (semi-)periphery and core countries. Both groups of immigrants are compared to natives. Additionally, the research population is stratified by gender. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses are used.

Results. Core immigrants (both men and women) do not differ from natives in terms of QOW. (Semi-)periphery immigrants (both men and women) are employed in jobs with lower QOW. While no differences in WHSR are found among men, female immigrants (both (semi-)periphery and core) have significantly more WHSR compared to native women. Although WHSR is generally lower in women, (semi-)periphery women have a similar prevalence of WHSR as men.

Conclusion. (Semi-)periphery immigrants are employed in lower quality jobs, while core immigrants do not differ from natives in that regard. Female immigrant workers – especially those from (semi-)periphery countries – have higher WHSR compared to native women. Our findings highlight the importance of an intersectional approach in the study of work-related health inequalities.