Journal of Public Health
Volume 17, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 27-32

Does disaster affect immigrant victims more than non-immigrant victims in Dutch general practice: A matched cohort study (Article)

Soeteman R.J.H. , Yzermans C.J. , Spreeuwenberg P.M.M. , Dorn T. , Kerssens J.J. , Van Den Bosch W.J.H.M. , Van Der Zee J.
  • a NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, P.O. Box 1568, Utrecht 3500 BN, Netherlands
  • b NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, P.O. Box 1568, Utrecht 3500 BN, Netherlands
  • c NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, P.O. Box 1568, Utrecht 3500 BN, Netherlands
  • d NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, P.O. Box 1568, Utrecht 3500 BN, Netherlands
  • e NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, P.O. Box 1568, Utrecht 3500 BN, Netherlands
  • f Department of General Practice, University Medical Centre St. Radboud, P.O. Box 9101, Nijmegen 6500HB, Netherlands
  • g NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, P.O. Box 1568, Utrecht 3500 BN, Netherlands

Abstract

Background: In the literature, immigrant victims appear to be more vulnerable to health effects of a disaster than indigenous victims. Most of these studies were performed without pre-disaster measurement and without using a control group. Aim: The objective of the study is to monitor differences between two groups of victims, Turkish immigrants and indigenous Dutch, in utilization and morbidity as presented in general practice after a man-made disaster. Methods: A matched cohort study was performed with pre-disaster (1 year) and post-disaster (4 years) measurements of patients from 30 general practices in Enschede. Turkish victims (N=303) and Dutch victims (N=606), matched on age, gender and socioeconomic status, were included. Main outcome measures were psychological problems and physical symptoms as recorded by the general practitioner, using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC). Results: The Turkish victims showed higher utilization than the Dutch victims prior to the disaster. In the 1st post-disaster year, both groups of victims showed an increase in utilization, but the increases did not differ significantly. The Turkish group showed no significantly greater increase than the Dutch group in the five most prevalent clusters of health problems (psychological, respiratory, skin, musculoskeletal, and digestive). Conclusion: The Turkish victims in general practice were as vulnerable as the Dutch victims for the effects on their health of this man-made disaster. Differences between Turkish and native Dutch victims of this man-made disaster can largely be explained by the differences that existed already before the disaster. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.

Author Keywords

Longitudinal studies disasters Ethnicity morbidity General practice

Index Keywords

general practice Netherlands immigrant skin disease human psychologic assessment controlled study Turkey (republic) respiratory tract disease disaster musculoskeletal disease mental disease male female Article adult cohort analysis digestive system disease ethnicity
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-58349099639&doi=10.1007%2fs10389-008-0197-6&partnerID=40&md5=6db00aa97bdb90ab223d28a990af905d
DOI: 10.1007/s10389-008-0197-6
ISSN: 09431853
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English