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Attitudes of the Prekmurje Roma towards health and healthcare

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Summary

Background

Knowledge of the culture, traditions and values of the Roma is important for understanding their relationship to health and the health system. The Roma in Prekmurje, the far northeastern part of Slovenia, are a unique ethnic group and in many respects different from other Roma. The aim of the study was to determine their attitudes towards health and the healthcare system.

Methods and materials

We conducted 25 interviews in Roma settlements. The participants were between 18 and 64 years of age, with the average age being 23.46 years old; 48 % were men and 52 % women. We used qualitative content analysis as the data analysis technique. As a tool to facilitate the qualitative data analysis, we used the software Atlas.ti. In the study, we used a data-driving coding scheme. Two independent coders carried out the coding.

Results

We determined eight logical categories that explain the attitudes of the Roma towards health, satisfaction, problems and prospects and the functioning of the health system at the local level. These are experiences with the healthcare system, personal healthcare, the perception of health and illness, suggestions for improvement, common diseases as perceived by the Roma, poverty and socioeconomic status of the Roma, discrimination and the need for a better understanding of the Roma.

Conclusion

Roma culture and their customs affect the Roma’s relationship with health and the healthcare services in Prekmurje. The Roma are willing to participate in health status improvement, but require special attention within the national healthcare system.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all of the Roma who participated in the study for their help. Without them, it would not have been possible to complete the research. They would also like to thank the community nurses for helping them establish contacts in the Roma settlement.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Faculty, Department of Family Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska 8, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Erika Zelko MD, MSc & Zalika Klemenc-Ketiš PhD

  2. Otroska ulica 29, Crensovci, Slovenia

    Erika Zelko MD, MSc

  3. Medical Faculty, Department of Family Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Poljanski nasip 58, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Igor Švab MD, PhD & Zalika Klemenc-Ketiš PhD

  4. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Kardeljeva ploscad 5, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Alem Maksuti

Authors
  1. Erika Zelko MD, MSc
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  2. Igor Švab MD, PhD
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  3. Alem Maksuti
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  4. Zalika Klemenc-Ketiš PhD
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Correspondence to Erika Zelko MD, MSc.

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Zelko, E., Švab, I., Maksuti, A. et al. Attitudes of the Prekmurje Roma towards health and healthcare. Wien Klin Wochenschr 127 (Suppl 5), 220–227 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-015-0704-z

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