50 Post-migration changes in health and use of healthcare services among Syrian refugees in Norway: a prospective cohort study

Abstract OP 35: Health Status 2, B210 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 10:15 - 11:15 Background Monitoring refugees’ health changes and their healthcare utilization patterns after resettlement in a new country, is important for developing policies that improve health outcomes and support integration. Previous research points to improvement in health short time after resettlement but it is not well described when the shift to deteriorating health occurs. Aim To examine changes in health outcomes and service utilization among Syrian refugees between one year (2018–2019) and four years (2022–2023) after resettlement in Norway. Methods This prospective cohort study utilized data from the Changing Health and health care needs Along the Syrian Refugees’ Trajectories to Norway (CHART) and Integration for Health projects. Self-reported health outcomes (chronic pain, non-communicable diseases [NCDs], and mental health) and service utilization (general practitioner [GP] visits, emergency care, outpatient/specialist consultations, and hospitalizations) were assessed one- and four-years post-resettlement. Changes in health and use of healthcare services were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations, adjusted for baseline factors, and presented as relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Result From one to four years post-arrival, there was an increase in the prevalence of NCDs (2.69, 95% CI: 1.88–3.83), chronic pain (1.78, 95% CI: 1.45–2.20) and poor mental health (2.78, 95% CI: 1.31–5.92). The GP visits and hospitalizations remained stable, but the utilization of emergency care (1.99, 95% CI: 1.46–2.70) and outpatient/specialist services (3.50, 95% CI: 2.64–4.62) increased over time. Conclusion From the first to the fourth year in Norway, health outcomes among Syrian refugees worsened over time, accompanied by increased utilization of emergency and specialist care services. Although these findings should be interpreted with caution as the study period covered the COVID-19 pandemic, they suggest post-migration factors negatively affecting the health of refugees, underscoring the importance of early and sustained actions to prevent health decline among refugees.