564 Mapping the health divide: Health disparities among immigrants in Oslo

OP 29: Health Status 4, B302 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 16:00 - 17:00 Background The city of Oslo is Norway’s most multiethnic and diverse city. Around 35% of the population has either themselves immigrated or has two immigrant parents. Little is known about the current health situation of people with immigrant backgrounds. The Oslo Public Health Survey 2024 was conducted in collaboration between the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Municipality of Oslo. The aim was to provide updated knowledge on health, quality of life, and health related behaviors among adults in Oslo for the purpose of informing policy interventions. Method The survey was conducted from the 4th of November to the 16th of December 2024. A stratified sample of 161,756 residents aged 18 and older were invited to participate. The survey took specific measures to increase participation among people with immigrant backgrounds and other hard-to-reach groups. We implemented a multifaceted strategy consisting of over-sampling, community engagement, translation and social media campaigns. A total of 45,480 individuals participated (response rate: 28.1%). Results Immigrants from countries in Africa, Asia, EU13 and Non-EU-Europe reported poorer self-rated general health, dental health, and mental health compared to Norwegian-born respondents. The proportion reporting good or very good general health was 60%, 53%, 54% and 59% respectively, versus 74% among the Norwegian-born. The proportion reporting good or very good dental health were 49%, 44%, 48%, and 60% compared to 75%. For mental health the proportion with a HSCL-5 score below 2 was 64%, 72%, 64%, and 64%, respectively, versus 78% among Norwegian-born respondents. Conclusion Despite full and equal rights to free health care and welfare, Oslo has major health disparities along sociodemographic and socioeconomic lines. The disparities are not well understood. This calls for more research into the relationships between various sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors and health outcomes.