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Are barriers in accessing health services in the Roma population associated with worse health status among Roma?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

The health of Roma has been found to be poorer than that of the majority population. The aim of this study was to explore the differences between Roma and non-Roma regarding perceived barriers in accessing health services. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the association between self-rated health status and Roma ethnicity and explore to what degree barriers in accessing health services explain this association.

Methods

We used data from the cross-sectional HepaMeta study conducted in 2011 in Slovakia. The final sample comprised 452 Roma (mean age 34.7; 35.2 % men) and 403 (mean age 33.5; 45.9 % men) non-Roma respondents.

Results

Roma ethnicity was found to be significantly associated with poorer self-rated health status. A considerable part of this association can be explained by barriers in accessing health services as perceived by Roma.

Conclusions

Worse health in Roma is partially mediated by worse access to health services, apart from a large educational gap between Roma living in settlements and the majority population. Interventions should focus not only on health literacy among Roma but also on the health care system and health care professionals.

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Acknowledgments

This project was partially supported by Roche Slovensko, s.r.o., and the Agency of the Slovak Ministry of Education for the Structural Funds of the EU, under project ITMS: 26220120058 (40 %).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Medical Faculty, PJ Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, 040 01, Kosice, Slovak Republic

    Pavol Jarcuska

  2. Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, PJ Safarik University, Kosice, Slovak Republic

    Daniela Bobakova, Ingrid Babinska, Peter Kolarcik, Zuzana Veselska & Andrea Madarasova Geckova

  3. Department of Health Psychology, Medical Faculty, Institute of Public Health, PJ Safarik University, Kosice, Slovak Republic

    Daniela Bobakova, Ingrid Babinska, Peter Kolarcik, Zuzana Veselska & Andrea Madarasova Geckova

  4. 1st Department of Psychiatry, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Kosice, Slovak Republic

    Jan Uhrin

  5. Associated Tissue Bank, Medical Faculty, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, PJ Safarik University, Kosice, Slovak Republic

    Ladislav Bobak

  6. Department of Christian Education, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Olomouc University Social Health Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Andrea Madarasova Geckova

Authors
  1. Pavol Jarcuska
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  2. Daniela Bobakova
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  3. Jan Uhrin
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  4. Ladislav Bobak
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  5. Ingrid Babinska
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  6. Peter Kolarcik
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  7. Zuzana Veselska
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  8. Andrea Madarasova Geckova
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Consortia

HEPA-META team

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pavol Jarcuska.

Additional information

Members of HEPA-META team are given in Appendix

Appendix

Appendix

HEPA-META team: Jarčuška Peter, Pella Daniel, Mareková Mária, Siegfried Leonard, Pastvová Lýdia, Fedačko Ján, Kollárová Jana, Dražilová Sylvia, Rosenberger Jaroslava, Schréter Ivan, Kristián Pavol, Veseliny Eduard, Janičko Martin, Virág Ladislav, Birková Anna, Kmeťová Marta, Halánová Monika, Cáriková Katarína, Petrášová Darina, Lovayová Viera, Merkovská Lucia, Jedličková Lucia, Valková Ivana. * Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, 040 01, Kosice, Slovak Republic. http://www.lf.upjs.sk/hepameta

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Jarcuska, P., Bobakova, D., Uhrin, J. et al. Are barriers in accessing health services in the Roma population associated with worse health status among Roma?. Int J Public Health 58, 427–434 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0451-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-013-0451-8

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