Immigration‐related stressors and health outcomes among low‐wage immigrant hotel workers: A pilot study

BACKGROUND: Immigrants comprise over 40% of the low‐wage workforce. They are more likely to be employed in service industries, paid less, and experience more illness and injuries than their native counterparts. DESIGN/OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross‐sectional pilot study was to explore the relationship between immigrant workers' stressors and health. SAMPLE: Twenty‐five female Mexican immigrant hotel workers. MEASUREMENTS: Surveys and blood samples were analyzed and compared to national data. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were used for analysis. RESULTS: Longer length of stay, older age at migration, and higher Demands of Immigration (DI) were significantly associated with more chronic conditions. Higher DI were significantly associated with more depressive symptoms. This is comparable to national data (n = 468) which shows a significant relationship between length of stay, Allostatic Load (AL), and chronic conditions (β = 0.14, p = .043; β = 0.13, p = .025). CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant‐specific factors affect individuals’ health. More studies are needed to further explore the relationship between DI and health among foreign‐born workers.