Abstract: According to the definition of the Microcensus, almost a quarter of the population in Germany has a migration background, meaning they themselves or at least one parent were born without German citizenship. Representative statements on the health situation of all people living in Germany are difficult to make in view of the current data situation and the under-representation of specific population groups. Against this background, the project "Improving Health Monitoring in Migrant Populations" (IMIRA) was initiated at the Robert Koch Institute. The aim is to establish a migration-sensitive health monitoring system and to improve the integration of people with a migration background into the health surveys of the Robert Koch Institute. The improvement of relevant migration-sensitive concepts and adequate survey instruments also plays a vital role. In this context, concepts of acculturation, discrimination, religion and subjective social status were selected. These are embedded theoretically in this paper. This is followed by an overview of the previous application in epidemiology and a proposal for measuring and operationalizing these concepts. In addition, recommendations for action are given on how the concepts can be applied in the context of health monitoring at the Robert Koch Institute.