Cent Eur J Public Health 2014, 22(Supplement):S57-S64 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3903

Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Population Living in Roma Settlements and Their Association with Health and Health-Related Behaviour

Andrea Madarasová Gecková1,2, Ingrid Babinská1, Daniela Bobáková1, Zuzana Dankulincová Veselská1, Lucia Bosáková1,3, Peter Kolarčik1,2, Peter Jarčuška4, Daniel Pella4, Monika Halánová5
1 Health Psychology Unit, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Košice, Slovakia
2 Olomouc University Social Health Institute, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
3 Department of Quantitative Methods, Faculty of Business Economics in Košice, University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia
4 1st Department of Internal Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Faculty of Medicine and L. Pasteur University Hospital, Košice, Slovakia
5 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Košice, Slovakia

Background: The aim of this study was to compare socioeconomic characteristics of the Roma population living in Roma settlements with the majority population. Moreover, it was aimed to assess socioeconomic differences in health and health-related behaviour within the population living in Roma settlements.

Methods: Data from the cross-sectional HepaMeta study conducted in Slovakia in 2011 were used. The sample consisted of 452 Roma (mean age = 34.7; 35.2% men) and 403 non-Roma (mean age = 33.5; 45.9% men) respondents. Roma in selected settlements were recruited by local Roma community workers. Respondents from the major population were randomly selected from a list of patients from general practitioners. Data were collected via questionnaire, anthropometric measures and analysed blood samples. Differences in socioeconomic characteristics between the population living in Roma settlements and the majority population were tested using the chi-square test. The contribution of selected socioeconomic characteristics on health and health-related behaviour of the population living in Roma settlements was assessed by logistic regression models adjusted for age and gender.

Results: The population living in Roma settlements is characterised by significantly lower socioeconomic standards, and the living conditions are significantly worse compared with the majority. With few exceptions, the study did not confirm any significant association between socioeconomic indicators and health and health-related behaviour within the population living in Roma settlements.

Conclusions: The deteriorating effect of living in Roma settlement on health and health-related behaviour seems to be immense regardless differences in socioeconomic characteristics or living condition within the settlement population.

Keywords: Roma settlements, disadvantaged groups, health, health-related behaviour, socioeconomic indicators, living conditions

Published: March 1, 2014  Show citation

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Madarasová Gecková A, Babinská I, Bobáková D, Dankulincová Veselská Z, Bosáková L, Kolarčik P, et al.. Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Population Living in Roma Settlements and Their Association with Health and Health-Related Behaviour. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2014;22(Supplement):S57-64. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a3903. PubMed PMID: 24847616.
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