Influencia de la doble carga de trabajo en el estado de salud percibida y utilización de servicios sanitarios de las poblaciones inmigrante y autóctona de la región de Murcia

Background: Gender inequalities in health have been largely documented. The main objective of this study is to assess whether there are gender differences in perceived health and health services utilization, and their relation with double workload in a representative sample of immigrants and Murcian natives. Methods: We used data from the NHS 2006 and Health and Culture Study, 1,303 immigrants and 1,303 Spanish, both residents in the Region of Murcia. With the combination of reproductive work and paid work we built up the variable "double workload” (DW). We estimated the prevalence ratio (PR) for positive self-perceived health, chronic morbidity, activity limitation, doctor's visits, hospitalization, emergency and drug use, by origin, using regression methods. Two models were constructed by adding double burden to the basic model adjusted by sociodemographic variables. Analyses were performed between and within sex. Results: After adjusting for DW, no changes were seen in the differences by gender [RP women/men of positive perception health: 0.70 (0.54-0.89) East European; 0.87 (0.79-0.95) autochthonous / chronic morbidity: 1.44 (1.14-1.82) Hispanic; 1.36 (1.19-1.55) autochthonous / activity limitation: 2.23 (1.29-3.83) Hispanic; 1.45 (1.01-2.10) autochthonous / doctor's visits: 1.93 (1.50-2.48) Hispanic; 1.74 (1.06-2.86) Moroccan; 1.32 (1.09-1.59) autochthonous / hospitalization: 1.80 (1.02-3.17) Hispanic], almost the same than unadjusted. Women used more drugs than men. Within sexes, both autochthonous men (1.19; 1.06-1.33) and women (1.18; 1.01-1.40) with shared DW had more positive self-perceived health than those without DW. Hispanic men with DW without assistance: 0.67 (0.47-0.94). Conclusions: Women have worse health indicators and greater use of health services regardless of origin. Consideration of the double workload does not explain gender inequalities in health. Fundamentos: Las desigualdades de género en salud han sido ampliamente documentadas. El principal objetivo es evaluar si existen diferencias de género en salud percibida y utilización de servicios sanitarios, y su relación con la doble carga de trabajo, en una muestra representativa de población inmigrante y autóctona de la Región de Murcia (RM). Métodos: Se utilizaron datos de la ENS 2006 y el Estudio Salud y Culturas, 1.303 inmigrantes y 1.303 españoles residentes en la RM. La combinación del trabajo reproductivo y remunerado se consideró «doble carga» (DC). Se estimó la razón de prev