American Journal of Public Health
Volume 106, Issue 7, 2016, Pages 1231-1232

Challenges in identifying refugees in national health data sets (Article)

Semere W.* , Yun K. , Ahalt C. , Williams B. , Wang E.A.
  • a Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06510, United States
  • b Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
  • c Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, United States
  • d Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, United States
  • e Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06510, United States

Abstract

Objectives. To evaluate publicly available data sets to determine their utility for studying refugee health. Methods. We searched for keywords describing refugees in data sets within the Society of General Internal Medicine Dataset Compendium and the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research database. We included in our analysis US-based data sets with publicly available documentation and a self-defined, health-related focus that allowed for an examination of patientlevel factors. Results. Of the 68 data sets that met the study criteria, 37 (54%) registered keyword matches related to refugees, but only 2 uniquely identified refugees. Conclusions. Few health data sets identify refugee status among participants, presenting barriers to understanding refugees' health and health care needsPublic Health Implications. Information about refugee status in national health surveys should include expanded demographic questions and focus on mental health and chronic disease.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

statistics and numerical data Socioeconomic Factors Humans socioeconomics refugee Health Surveys chronic disease ethnology procedures standards United States mental health human epidemiology Refugees health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84974623565&doi=10.2105%2fAJPH.2016.303201&partnerID=40&md5=e10d45aa3ee26b2e07670a5a67ac3f13
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303201
ISSN: 00900036
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English