Migrant health in children and young people in Europe: An analysis of Europe-wide routine datasets

This project aims to use Europe-wide datasets to study the health of children and young people who have migrated across global borders, using an interdisciplinary approach across three major work packages. The objectives of the project are pertinent to the Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 10.7) and the UN 'Leave No One Behind' Framework as these populations are often subject to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
1. Evidence Synthesis through a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the European burden of key infections including HIV, TB, Hep B and C, and other sexually transmitted infections in migrant children. All available data will be included in the meta-analysis, with the goal of assessing the incidence/prevalence of specific diseases in child migrants. Where possible and noting the heterogenous nature of child migrants as a study group, I will seek to analyse the available data against different demographic markers (e.g. age groups, gender, country/region of origin, type of migration etc.).
2. Cross-country comparison using routine datasets from different countries to analyse and compare retrospective data on infectious diseases and sexual health screening and the health outcomes of child migrants across Europe. I will quantify and compare disease incidence between migrant and non-migrant children and between child migrants and adult migrants using t-tests and chi-squared tests, as well as exploring associations with age, gender, country of origin, and host country/region to develop risk estimates. To examine trends over time, I will conduct time series analysis. I will examine screening data, population coverage, disease incidence and access to healthcare more broadly, linking this to demographic, health, population and migration data using multivariate regression to understand relationships between these factors.
3. Policy analysis of screening policies across Europe, examining their approaches, implementation and evolution over time, particularly drawing out any specific clauses focusing on migrant children. I will use causal inference methods to correlate the effects of these changes on disease-specific identification, infectious disease incidence, screening uptake, coverage and outcomes such as unscheduled health care usage and other health status indicators. For example, I will use the quantitative analysis conducted earlier in the project to develop panel data that correspond to time periods before and after implementation of policy changes. Countries with policy changes will then be "paired" with countries or groups of countries without policy changes and I will conduct difference-in-difference analysis to attempt to causally link changes in policy (e.g. access to healthcare for migrant children) with associated impacts (e.g. healthcare outcomes for migrant children).
This project focuses on the development and application of quantitative skills, including advanced statistical methods and epidemiology skills, to analyse large publicly available Europe-wide datasets as well as drawing on interdisciplinary data sources (social and political science and policy literature) to carry out a policy analysis of national screening programmes and pathways that exist for adolescents entering different European countries.