FOR a long time public health researchers have talked about a mysterious 'Glasgow effect' dragging down life expectancy in the city.

The results of this latest study point to another mortality paradox that might be dubbed the 'White Scottish' effect.

Something about being white and born in Scotland - or, in some cases, born elsewhere in the UK or Ireland to white Scottish parents - appears to condemn you to a statistically higher risk of death than almost any other major ethnic group.

Read more: Study reveals mortality rate worst among white Scots 

Even adjusting for socioeconomic differences, affluent white Scots were more likely to die than similarly affluent non-white Scots, or similarly affluent white non-Scots.

The same pattern occurred was repeated at the opposite end of the spectrum, among the most deprived.

Even white Scots born abroad, who fare better, lag behind nearly every other ethnic group.

Among males, "other" white British (mainly English), "other" white (such as western and eastern Europeans, Americans, or Australians), Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese all had mortality rates that were at least 10 per cent lower than white Scots. This was true regardless of whether they had been born here or migrated here.

The same pattern was mirrored among women, with the exception of Scots-Chinese women born here who had slightly higher deaths rates than white Scotland-born Scots.

Read more: Study reveals mortality rate worst among white Scots

In comparison, first generation female Chinese migrants to Scotland had significantly lower mortality than white Scotswomen.

Some other ethnic groups - such as Bangladeshi, Caribbean, African and other South Asian Scots - had poorer mortality than white Scots, but only if they had been born here.

First generation migrants from these communities had significantly lower mortality rates during the study period from 2001 to 2013.

However, the numbers for these ethnic minorities are comparatively small for Scotland, making them less statistically significant.

Nonetheless, the take home message is that claims of a "migrant strain" on the NHS do not add up.

Read more: Study reveals mortality rate worst among white Scots

Not only do migrants and ethnic minorities show lower mortality rates than white Scots, both EU and non-EU workers buoying up health service in terms of staffing.

Immigration has also contributed to small increase in the Scottish population despite a falling birth rate which, with an ageing population looming over the NHS, is surely a welcome step - especially since migrants tend to be younger and have more children.

Prof Bhopal said: "People often have a negative attitude to immigrants and minorities and partly it's because they think they've got very bad health and people worry about the burden on the health system. But what we're finding is that it's just not as simple as that.

"It's not a case that the minorities are worse in everything. They're worse in some things like tuberculosis, but TB is a very small problem in Scotland today. So when it comes to health as a whole they're not worse and they're not a greater burden on the health service."