Loneliness, immigration background and self-identified ethnicity: a nationally representative study of adolescents in Denmark

TY - JOUR

T1 - Loneliness, immigration background and self-identified ethnicity

T2 - a nationally representative study of adolescents in Denmark

AU - Madsen, Katrine Rich

AU - Damsgaard, Mogens Trab

AU - Jervelund, Signe Smith

AU - Christensen, Ulla

AU - Stevens, Gonneke G.W.J.M.

AU - Walsh, Sophie

AU - Koushede, Vibeke

AU - Nielsen, Line

AU - Due, Pernille

AU - Holstein, Bjørn E.

PY - 2016/9/25

Y1 - 2016/9/25

N2 - Migration is an increasing worldwide phenomenon that creates multicultural societies with a growing number of adolescents who have experienced a process of migration or who have an ethnic background other than that of the majority. Migration may lead to loss of social relations and create challenges related to acculturation in the new country. These experiences may induce feelings of loneliness. Research on ethnic and migrant disparities in loneliness among adolescents is limited and inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to examine how adolescents’ immigration background and self-identified ethnicity are associated, independently and combined, with loneliness. We used data from the Danish 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey which included a representative sample of 3083 13- and 15-year-olds. The results suggest that immigrants but not descendants of immigrants have an increased risk of loneliness compared to adolescents with a Danish origin. The results also suggest that adolescents’ self-identified ethnicity plays an essential role but differently for immigrants and descendants: identifying with the Danish majority was protective against loneliness among immigrants, whereas identifying with an ethnic minority group was protective against loneliness among descendants.

AB - Migration is an increasing worldwide phenomenon that creates multicultural societies with a growing number of adolescents who have experienced a process of migration or who have an ethnic background other than that of the majority. Migration may lead to loss of social relations and create challenges related to acculturation in the new country. These experiences may induce feelings of loneliness. Research on ethnic and migrant disparities in loneliness among adolescents is limited and inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to examine how adolescents’ immigration background and self-identified ethnicity are associated, independently and combined, with loneliness. We used data from the Danish 2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey which included a representative sample of 3083 13- and 15-year-olds. The results suggest that immigrants but not descendants of immigrants have an increased risk of loneliness compared to adolescents with a Danish origin. The results also suggest that adolescents’ self-identified ethnicity plays an essential role but differently for immigrants and descendants: identifying with the Danish majority was protective against loneliness among immigrants, whereas identifying with an ethnic minority group was protective against loneliness among descendants.

KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

KW - ensomhed

KW - Unge

KW - effektmodifikation

KW - indvandrer

KW - indvandrerbaggrund

KW - efterkommere

KW - selvidentificeret etnicitet

KW - Etniske minoriteter

KW - etniske minoritetsbørn

KW - Immigration

U2 - 10.1080/1369183X.2015.1137754

DO - 10.1080/1369183X.2015.1137754

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1369-183X

VL - 42

SP - 1977

EP - 1995

JO - Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

JF - Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

IS - 12

ER -