Health monitoring of the migrant population in Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany: experiences, implications, and perspectives.

AIM To describe the benefits and restrictions that emerged in health monitoring of the Northrhine-Westphalian migrant population. METHODS Analysis of official register data, description and classification of benefits and restrictions, and systematic derivation of implications of general validity. RESULTS The comparison of the native German and migrant populations revealed which health relevant fields with specific problems require political intervention and further research. The results clearly reflected strongly differing socio-demographic structures. Moreover, insufficiencies in the design of official statistics were found, which led to the formulation of general principles of an integrated system for the health monitoring of migrant populations. CONCLUSIONS To serve as adequate data sources relevant for health monitoring that takes into account different dimensions of migration, official registers should fulfill certain requirements. Different indicators of migration and socioeconomic situation should be recorded, and classifications, such as national background and age, should be standardized in different statistical sources.