The increased number of international immigrants and associated global problems of health deterioration and vitamin D (vitD) deficiency/insufficiency may lead to significant burdens for host countries. This thesis investigated immigrants’ health deterioration and vitD status through a comprehensive analysis of Canadian national vitD data, systematic evaluation of the quality/content of clinical practice guidelines, and global systematic review of vitD status and determinants among first-generation immigrants. Immigrants had lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25(OH)D) and higher melanin levels than non-immigrants. S-25(OH)D levels improved over time, with ethnicity the main factor explaining variations. The longer immigrants lived in Canada, the higher the prevalence of chronic diseases (CDs), potentially reflecting health deterioration. Low levels of accumulated S-25(OH)D may impact CD-related biomarkers, partially explaining immigrants’ health deterioration over time. Local and international guidance regarding immigrants’ vitD deficiency/insufficiency was lacking. Improving immigrants’ vitD status requires prevention and intervention programs (e.g., vitD supplementation/screening), relevant national/international guidelines, and longitudinal research clarifying the complex bidirectional association between S-25(OH)D and CDs.

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I vår undersökning ville vi belysa unga förtagenerations-invandrarkvinnors identitets förändring. Dessa unga kvinnor lever under inflytande av två kulturer där deras identitetstillhörighet till sitt ursprung oftast bestäms av ett essentialistiskt synsätt, vilket innebär att den definieras av ett gemensamt ursprung och en speciell kulturtillhörighet. Men kvinnorna i vår studie visar att deras identitet egentligen bygger mer på ett konstruktivistiskt synsätt där den kulturella identiteten inte bestäms av en gemensam tillhörighet utan att identiteten förändras och omskapas hela tiden beroende på den situation man befinner sig i. Vi har gjort ett urval där vi har valt aktiva och kvinnor som har ansträngt sig för att integreras i det svenska samhället och inte valt ”den traditionella hemmafrun”. Syftet med vår studie är att få kunskap och att undersöka hur dessa kvinnor uppfattar sig själva och hur samhället uppfattar deras identitet samt i vilket sammanhang deras identitet förändras. Vi har valt att utgå utifrån olika teoretiska utgångspunkter så som integration, identitet, kulturell identitet, dubbla identiteter, fördomar och tillhörighet och utanförskap som kommer att användas i vår analys av intervjuresultatet. Med en kvalitativ metod ville vi besvara forskningsfrågorna: Hur uppfattar kvinnorna själva sin egen identitet? Hur tror de att andra i omgivningen uppfattar deras identitet? Hur förändras identiteten i olika sammanhang? Känner kvinnorna sig integrerade i det svenska samhället eller exkluderade? Vilka fördelar, respektive nackdelar finns det med att ha dubbla identiteter eller en identitet? / Abstract "Welcome home again" – a study of immigrant women’s identity changes in the Swedish society. In our research, we intend to highlight the identity formations and changes of young immigrant women. These young women live under the influence of two cultures where their belonging to their “origin” is often determined by an essentialist approach, which indicates that it is defined by a common origin and a specific cultural belonging. Yet, the women in our study suggest that their identity is shaped according to a constructionist approach, where the cultural identity is not determined by a common belonging; instead, their identity tend to change as it is constantly reconstructed in accordance with their (social) condition. We have made a selection, where we have chosen active women that have worked hard to integrate in the Swedish society, rather than the "traditional housewife". The purpose of our study is to explore, and thus understand, how these women perceive themselves, how the society perceives their identity, and how their identity changes. We have decided to proceed from different theoretical starting-points, such as integration, identity, cultural identity, dual identities, prejudices, inclusion and exclusion, that will be applied in our analysis of the interviews. By applying a qualitative method, our intention is to answer the following research questions: How do these women perceive their own identity? How do people in their surroundings perceive their identity, according to the women themselves? How does the identity change in different contexts? Do the women feel integrated in the Swedish society or do they feel excluded? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having dual identities and a single identity? Key words: first-generation immigrants, integration, identity, cultural identity, dual identities, prejudices, inclusion and exclusion.