Archives de Pediatrie
Volume 12, Issue 10, 2005, Pages 1471-1477

Newly immigrant adolescents health and quality of life in Belgium: Screening and prevention in school medicine [Santé et qualité de vie des adolescents récemment immigrés en Belgique: Dépistage et prévention en médecine scolaire] (Article)

Renard F.* , Martin E. , Cueva C. , Deccache A.
  • a Unité d'Éducation Pour la Santé, École de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Louvain, avenue Emmanuel-Mounier, 5070, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium, Service de Promotion de la Santé à l'École, Centre de Santé, Université Catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium, Communauté Française de Belgique, Centre Psychomédicosocial de Saint-Gilles, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • b Service de Promotion de la Santé à l'École, Centre de Santé, Université Catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • c Communauté Française de Belgique, Centre Psychomédicosocial de Saint-Gilles, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • d Unité d'Éducation Pour la Santé, École de Santé Publique, Université Catholique de Louvain, avenue Emmanuel-Mounier, 5070, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium

Abstract

Objectives. - Little is known so far about the health of newly immigrant adolescents. The present study aimed to evaluate their health and quality of life (QoL) and to reinforce prevention and health promotion in school medicine. Methods. - One hundred and fifty-eight adolescents (mean age: 15,4 years) from 37 nationalities were included in the study in two health centers in Brussels. This study was carried out by medical records analysis and administration of a questionnaire about health and QoL (VSP-A) in several languages. Results. - The results showed adolescents in good physical health. Nevertheless their quality of life deteriorated over time in Belgium. The QoL was significantly lower for adolescents without social support: 48,0 (SD = 13,5) vs 60,6 (SD = 11,1) compared with adolescents with social support - i.e. with one resource person - on a scale from 0 to 100. Adolescents had many subjective health problems, like "the future" cited by half of them. Conclusion. - This study shows the importance of developping a specific approach to newly immigrant adolescents health and the contribution of school medicine in the identification of biological, psychological and social needs and hightlights the preventive answers carried out by school medicine. © 2005 Elsevier SAS. Tous droits réservés.

Author Keywords

Adolescent medicine School health services Health promotion Health education Immigration Quality of life

Index Keywords

evaluation immigrant health promotion mass screening psychological aspect human social aspect health status social support Adolescent Health Services screening health quality of life School Health Services Humans school health service Adolescent male female medical record questionnaire Belgium Article major clinical study preventive medicine Emigration and Immigration health center Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-26444554909&doi=10.1016%2fj.arcped.2005.06.006&partnerID=40&md5=9eaed70a0a2c37052c2595036ac889b6
DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2005.06.006
ISSN: 0929693X
Cited by: 8
Original Language: French