ROMA ATTITUDES TO HEALTH AND INTERVENTIV PROGRAMM

Asist.mag.Erika Zelko,dr.med.spec.EFPC Istanbul, 9-10.9.2013

PURPOSE

Identify the attitudes and Roma health needs Create one intervention program for promoting

healthy lifestyle in Roma settlements Analysed the outcome data after intervention.

PROJECT TEAM AND INTERVENTION PROGRAMM

Medical Students General praktitioners Community health

nurses Roma Local authority

Workshops Written material Website Radio and TV shows

Project team Intervention programm

METHODS

prospective intervention case - control study combined the quantitative and qualitative

research methodology 25 interviews – non random selection 650 Roma to answer a survey questionnaire

(befor and after the intervention, 400 Roma included in the study)- random selection

intervention group and a control group questionnaire was performed from validated

EuroQol and EUROPREV questionnaires with added issue of knowledge about normal values of blood pressures, blood sugar, body temperature and cholesterol

ANALYSE

Data were analysed with a computer ATLAS program for qualitative with help from two independent researchers

Computer program SPSS 20.0 for quantitative data.

SOME FINDINGS

21/25 interviewed Roma think that everybody is responsible for his own health

21/25 did not have problems with discriminations at the health institutions

the Roma gave us some very good tips for Roma health improvement

Table 1: Changes in risk factor knowledge in the control and intervention groups

Knowing the meaning of a specific risk factor

Total

n = 254

Intervention group

n = 106

Control group

n = 148

p*

  n % n % n %  Blood pressure +50 +19.7 +39 +36.8 +11 +7.4 < 0.001

Blood sugar +26 +10.2 +21 +19.8 +5 +3.4 < 0.001

Cholesterol +10 +3.9 +9 +8.5 +1 +0.7 < 0.002

Body temperature +55 +21.7 +36 +34.0 +19 +12.8 < 0.001

 

Table 2: Effect of intervention on views about changing smoking habits

Views on planned changes to smoking

habits

Total

n = 254

Intervention group

n = 106

Control group

n = 148

  n % n % n %

Unnecessary because I don’t smoke 110 43.3 39 (+0) 36.8 (+0.0) 71 (+0) 48.0 (+0.0)

Don’t plan to change in the next 6 months 29 11.4 6 (−5) 5.7 (−4.7) 23 (+7) 15.5 (+4.7)

Don’t know 69 27.2 35 (−9) 33.0 (−8.5) 34 (−5) 23.0 (−3.4)

Yes, plan to change in the next 6 months 28 11.0 16 (+8) 15.1 (+7.6) 12 (+1) 8.1 (0.7)

Yes, plan to change in the next month 10 3.9 9 (+8) 8.5 (+7.6) 1 (−3) 0.7 (−2.0)

Already changing 8 3.1 1 (−2) 0.9 (−1.9) 7 (+0) 4.7 (+0.0)

Table 3: Attitudes regarding the importance of health protection and promotion measures

attitudes

Specific preventive measures

Total

n = 254Intervention group

n = 106

Control group

n = 148 p*

  n % n % n %  

a) Improve diet 143 56.3 67 (+8) 63.2 (+7.5) 76 (−3) 51.4 (−2.0) 0.073

b) Increase physical activity* 129 51.2 57 (+5) 53.8 (+4.7) 72 (−6) 48.6 (−4.1) 0.447

c) Normalize body weight 140 55.1 56 (+8) 52.8 (+7.5) 84 (−1) 56.8 (−0.6) 0.609

d) Stop smoking** 87 60.4 45 (+3) 67.2 (+4.5) 42 (+1) 54.5 (+1.3) 0.129

e) Reduce alcohol intake 82 32.3 38 (+5) 35.8 (+4.7) 44 (+1) 29.7 (+0.6) 0.342

f) Measure cholesterol levels 173 68.1 75 (−1) 70.8 (−0.3) 98 (+9) 66.2 (+6.1) 0.496

g) Measure blood sugar 175 68.9 74 (−6) 69.8 (−5.7) 101 (+11) 68.2 (+7.4) 0.891

h) Measure blood pressure 176 69.3 73 (−12) 68.9 (−11.3) 103 (+9) 69.6 (+6.1) 1.000

i) Get a flu vaccine 88 34.6 39 (−4) 36.8 (−3.8) 49 (−4) 33.1 (−2.7) 0.593

j) Take a PAP-test*** 116 76.8 51 (+1) 79.7 (+1.6) 65 (+10) 74.7 (+11.5) 0.560

k) Have a mammogram*** 104 68.9 42 (+2) 65.6 (+3.1) 62 (+12) 71.3 (+13.8) 0.481

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES The 3-month health education intervention project

showed changes in the Roma knowledge of risk factors and disease symptoms

the change in knowledge did not affect the change of attitudes that influence health promotion and protection

I predict that the intervention program had to take longer

The Roma must be included in the process of creating and implementing the aktivitis at the settlementes