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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2004

Open Access 01-12-2004 | Study protocol

Health and health care utilisation among asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands: design of a study

Authors: Annette AM Gerritsen, Inge Bramsen, Walter Devillé, Loes HM van Willigen, Johannes E Hovens, Henk M van der Ploeg

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2004

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Abstract

Background

This article discusses the design of a study on the prevalence of health problems (both physical and mental) and the utilisation of health care services among asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands, including factors that may be related to their health and their utilisation of these services.

Methods/Design

The study will include random samples of adult asylum seekers and refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Somali (total planned sample of 600), as these are among the largest groups within the reception centres and municipalities in the Netherlands.
The questionnaire that will be used will include questions on physical health (chronic and acute diseases and somatization), mental health (Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire), utilisation of health care services, pre- and post-migratory traumatic experiences, life-style, acculturation, social support and socio-demographic background. The questionnaire has gone through a translation process (translation and back-translation, several checks and a pilot-study) and cross-cultural adaptation. Respondents will be interviewed by bilingual and bicultural interviewers who will be specifically trained for this purpose.
This article discusses the selection of the study population, the chosen outcome measures, the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the measurement instrument, the training of the interviewers and the practical execution of the study. The information provided may be useful for other researchers in this relatively new field of epidemiological research among various groups of asylum seekers and refugees.
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Metadata
Title
Health and health care utilisation among asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands: design of a study
Authors
Annette AM Gerritsen
Inge Bramsen
Walter Devillé
Loes HM van Willigen
Johannes E Hovens
Henk M van der Ploeg
Publication date
01-12-2004
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2004
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-4-7

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