Impact of socio-cultural factors, dietary habits, and lifestyle patterns on the health status of North African migrants in France

Abstract

The available studies in France showed a paradox among North African migrant men in France and some other developed countries, i.e., that migration could have a protective effect against some nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases compared to French. The origin of this paradox is not well documented. Particular attention was given to the influence of socio-cultural and environmental factors on health status of North African migrants. Conservation of healthy diet habits, lower prevalence of smoking, lower alcohol consumption, and adoption of a more active lifestyle may confer protective effects on morbidity and mortality of North African men compared to local-born French. It should be noted however that beneficial effects of migration in men would be expected to decrease with the length of stay in the host country because of acculturation to the host country lifestyle. More comprehensive and larger-scale studies will be required to provide a better insight into migration-health relationships.

Dietary habits - lifestyle - North African migrants - paradox - nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases - relative risk

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