• María D Esteban-Vasallo, M Felicitas Domínguez-Berjón, Jenaro Astray-Mochales, Ricard Gènova-Maleras, Aurelio Pérez-Sania, Luis Sánchez-Perruca, Marta Aguilera-Guzmán, and Francisco J González-Sanz.
• Dirección General de Atención Primaria, Consejería de Sanidad, Comunidad de Madrid, España. maria.estebanv@salud.madrid.org
• Gac Sanit. 2009 Nov 1; 23 (6): 548-52.

ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence rates of chronic disorders in immigrants and to compare them with those in the native population, based on electronic clinical records in primary care (ECRPC).MethodsWe performed a descriptive cross-sectional study in patients aged 16 and over included in the Madrid Regional Public Health System. Age-adjusted prevalence rates for each sex and region were estimated on the basis of medically examined cases registered in the ECRPC with any new data entry made in 2005 or 2006.ResultsAfter age-adjustment, a total of 36.8% immigrants had some chronic health problem (vs. 55.3% natives). These disorders were more frequent among women and among the population from Africa and Latin America. The highest overall prevalence rates in the foreign population were allergy (10.2% crude rate), low-back pain (9.1%), chronic skin problems (6.8%) and mental disorders (6.4%).ConclusionsThe prevalence rate of chronic disease is lower in the foreign population and differs according to sex and country of origin.

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