Community screening describes health access and vulnerabilities among immigrants in Portugal

Researchers analysed questionnaire and screening data from 152 adult immigrants who attended two editions of the ACOLHER community programme in Almada in October and November 2025. The descriptive study used the PROGRESS framework to organise social determinants and included screening stations for mental health, oral health, pelvic health, cardiometabolic risk and functional capacity. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling, and attendance at individual screening stations was voluntary.

Among 148 participants with valid healthcare-access data, 56 (37.8%) reported having no access to healthcare services. Seventeen of 147 (11.6%) reported receiving food assistance. The study also described indicators including lack of personal income and limited social support. Dental caries and visible plaque were common among those assessed orally; mental health screening found scores above a reference threshold among many participants reporting mental or emotional concerns.

These findings describe vulnerabilities among programme participants, not prevalence in Portugal’s wider immigrant population. Screening denominators varied, and the study did not test associations between determinants and health outcomes. The authors call for larger, population-based studies to assess whether these patterns extend beyond this convenience sample and to evaluate programme effects on healthcare use and health outcomes.