Latin American immigrants have limited access to health insurance in Japan: a cross sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Japan provides universal health insurance to all legal residents. Prior research has suggested that immigrants to Japan disproportionately lack health insurance coverage, but no prior study has used rigorous methodology to examine this issue among Latin American immigrants in Japan. The aim of our study, therefore, was to assess the pattern of health insurance coverage and predictors of uninsurance among documented Latin American immigrants in Japan.

Methods

We used a cross sectional, mixed method approach using a probability proportional to estimated size sampling procedure. Of 1052 eligible Latin American residents mapped through extensive fieldwork in selected clusters, 400 immigrant residents living in Nagahama City, Japan were randomly selected for our study.

SUBMITTER: Suguimoto SP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3373364 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature