AUTHOR=Nowak Anna Christina , Razum Oliver , Hornberg Claudia 

TITLE=Exploring the Significance of Legal Status on Refugees’ and Asylum Seekers’ Access to Health Care in Germany—A Mixed-Method Study

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 68 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605578

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1605578

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives: We investigated the significance of legal status for well-being and access to and use of needs-
based health care by asylum seekers and refugees in Germany.

Methods: Using a mixed-method-design, we first conducted a cross-sectional study to explore access to health care and unmet needs of refugees and asylum seekers and legal status. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Second, we conducted an in-depth qualitative study, in which we recruited a heterogeneous sample from survey participants. Our analysis was deductive-inductive.

Results: Quantitative results showed that health care utilisation was associated with an insecure legal status but not with unmet care needs. The qualitative study revealed that the legal status determines experiences of structural violence that can negatively affect well-being and associated access to health care.

Conclusions: An insecure legal status can affect access to health care for refugees and asylum seekers. To improve their health, living conditions need to be improved and access barriers removed.