Assets and health across the lifecourse: a framework for supporting migrant populations

Abstract

Migration is a defining feature of the 21st century. With >304 million people having left their country of birth and the number growing daily, understanding the needs of migrant populations will be a primary global concern in coming decades. We propose a framework for understanding the health needs of migrant populations across life stages that builds on asset-building and lifecourse perspectives. We highlight examples from the literature for three types of assets (financial, physical, and social) and across three life stages (childhood and adolescence, adulthood, and older age). This framework can inform policy responses to address the needs of migrant populations and support the conditions for them to flourish.