Health promotion among the population of foreign origin in Finland involves special issues.

Abstract

The population of foreign origin in Finland is a heterogenic group, diverse for example with respect to reasons for and age at migration. While migration to Finland is a recent phenomenon, the size of the population of foreign origin has grown rapidly and will continue to increase. Changes in the population structure need to be taken into account in health promotion. For example lifestyle, health status, functional capacity, mental health, infectious diseases and reproductive health differ in foreign origin population compared with the general Finnish population. These differences may provide opportunities but also create challenges for service provision and health promotion planning.