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Psychosocial factors of coronary heart disease and quality of life among Roma coronary patients: a study matched by socioeconomic position

  • Original Article
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International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess whether psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life (HRQL) differ between Roma and non-Roma coronary patients and to what degree socioeconomic status (SES) explains these differences.

Methods

We included 138 patients out of 437 interviewed: 46 Roma, all with low SES, 46 non-Roma with low SES, and 46 non-Roma with high SES. Groups were matched for age, gender and education. The GHQ-28 was used for measuring psychological well-being, the Maastricht interview for vital exhaustion, the type D questionnaire and the Cook–Medley scale for personality and the SF-36 for HRQL. SES was indicated by income and education, and disease severity by ejection fraction. ANOVA and linear regression were used.

Results

Roma scored poorly compared to non-Roma in psychological well-being, vital exhaustion and HRQL (p ≤ 0.001); however, these differences could be to a substantial extent explained by SES. With regard to personality traits, ethnicity and SES played a less significant role.

Conclusions

The adverse quality of life among Roma coronary patients may warrant additional care, which should target their low SES but also other factors related to their ethnic background, such as culture and living conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under Contract No. APVV-20-038305 and by the project “Centre for Excellent Research of Atherosclerosis and its Complications–Myocardial Infarction and Stroke”, Operational Program of Research and Development financed by the European Fund for Regional Development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Non-medical Study Programs, Jessenius Medical Faculty in Martin, Comenius University, Malá Hora 5, 036 32, Martin, Slovakia

    Zuzana Skodova

  2. Kosice Institute for Society and Health (KISH), University of PJ Safarik, Kosice, Slovakia

    Jitse P. van Dijk, Iveta Nagyova & Jaroslav Rosenberger

  3. Department of Social Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Jitse P. van Dijk & Sijmen A. Reijneveld

  4. East Slovakian Institute for Cardiac and Vascular Diseases, Kosice, Slovakia

    Daniela Ondusova & Martin Studencan

Authors
  1. Zuzana Skodova
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  2. Jitse P. van Dijk
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  3. Iveta Nagyova
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  4. Jaroslav Rosenberger
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  5. Daniela Ondusova
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  6. Martin Studencan
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  7. Sijmen A. Reijneveld
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Correspondence to Zuzana Skodova.

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This paper belongs to the special issue “Health of ethnic minorities in Europe”.

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Skodova, Z., van Dijk, J.P., Nagyova, I. et al. Psychosocial factors of coronary heart disease and quality of life among Roma coronary patients: a study matched by socioeconomic position. Int J Public Health 55, 373–380 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-010-0153-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-010-0153-4

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