Despite this, the following differences were found between the immigrant population and the autochthonous population:
- In general, it is a younger population, and is not initially regarded as a risk group for health.
- Job precariousness and housing conditions may have a negative influence on their health.
- Poor self-perceived health could be more prevalent.
- They might have more somatisations or poorly-defined sympatomatology clinical manifestations wrongly defined as an expression of mental health problems, as well as a lower frequency of psychotic mental disorders.
- Some groups might have a greater probability of being infected or of having had an infection before coming to Spain, since they come from areas where certain infectious diseases are more prevalent.
- The incidence of tuberculosis would increase or would remain constant in some groups, whereas it would fall in the autochthonous population.
- People infected with the HIV virus would have a lower survival.
- Children usually have poorer dental health.
- They use more frequently the public health network and emergency services.
- The main difficulties in accessing certain health services would be through ignorance of the system, and fear, due to their illegal situation.
- The reasons for consultation and hospitalisation are related to the typical use made by a young population, where gynaeco-obstetric care is predominant in women (births) and general medicine visits in men (digestive complaints).
- Participation in preventive programmes and compliance with treatment could be less.
This work made it possible to conclude that the studies conducted with an immigrant population do not provide quality information to analyse their health needs and the presence of inequalitiesy in the use of health services. A series of consensus-based variables are required on different levels that would make it possible to identify and study the immigrant population. The perspective of social and gender inequalityies in health would have to be included, as well as the perspective of immigrant groups and health professionals.