Revisiting the evidence on health and health care disparities among the Roma: A systematic review 2003-2012

International Journal of Public Health

Volumn 58, Issue 6, 2013, Pages 885-911

  Cook, Benjamin ^a,b   Wayne, Geoffrey Ferris ^b   Valentine, Anne ^b   Lessios, Anna ^b   Yeh, Ethan ^c  

^a HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL   (United States)

^b CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE   (United States)

^c WORLD BANK   (United States)

Author keywords

Health; Health care utilization; Roma; Romani; Systematic review; Travelers

Indexed keywords

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; CHILD; EUROPE; FEMALE; HEALTH CARE DISPARITY; HEALTH DISPARITY; HUMAN; MALE; REVIEW; ROMANI (PEOPLE); STATISTICS; YOUNG ADULT;

ADOLESCENT; ADULT; CHILD; EUROPE; FEMALE; GYPSIES; HEALTH STATUS DISPARITIES; HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES; HUMANS; MALE; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 84890503233     PISSN: 16618556     EISSN: 1420911X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s00038-013-0518-6     Document Type: Article

References (101)

1. Alberty R, Albertyová D, Ahlers I (2009) Distribution and correlations of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in Roma and Caucasian children: the Slovak lipid community study. Coll Antropol 33:1015
2. Arblaster L, Lambert M, Entwistle V, Forster M, Fullerton D, Sheldon T, Watt I (1996) A systematic review of the effectiveness of health service interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in health. J Health Serv Res Policy 1:93
3. Balázs P, Rákóczi I, Grenzer A, Foley KL (2012) Risk factors of preterm birth and low birth weight babies among Roma and non-Roma mothers: a population-based study. Eur J Public Health: 1-5
4. Beach H (2006) Comparing the use of an accident and emergency department by children from two local authority gypsy sites with that of their neighbours. Public Health 120:882-884
5. Blagojević LM, Bogdanović DC, Jović SJ, Milosević Z, Dolićanin Z (2012) Excess winter mortality of Roma population in Serbia, 1992-2007. Cent Eur J Public Health 20:135-138
6. Bobak M, Dejmek J, Solansky I, Sram RJ (2005) Unfavourable birth outcomes of the Roma women in the Czech Republic and the potential explanations: a population-based study. BMC Public Health 5:106
7. Bobakova D, Kolarcik P, Geckova AM, Klein D, Reijneveld SA, van Dijk JP (2012) Does the influence of peers and parents on adolescents' drunkenness differ between Roma and non-Roma adolescents in Slovakia? Ethn Health 17:531-541
8. Bogdanovic D, Nikic D, Petrovic B, Kocic B, Jovanovic J, Nikolic M, Milosevic Z (2007) Mortality of Roma population in Serbia, 2002-2005. Croat Med J 48:720-726
9. Carrasco-Garrido P, de Andrés AL, Barrera VH, Jiménez- Trujillo I, Jiménez-García R (2011) Health status of Roma women in Spain. Eur J Public Health 21:793-798
10. Casals M, Pila P, Langohr K, Millet JP, Caylà JA (2011) Incidence of infectious diseases and survival among the Roma population: a longitudinal cohort study. Eur J Public Health 22:262-266
11. De Silva MJ, McKenzie K, Harpham T, Huttly SRA (2005) Social capital and mental illness: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health 59:619-627
12. Djonic D, Djuric M, Bassioni-Stamenic F, McFarland W, Knezevic T, Nikolic S, Zivkovic V, Vallabhaneni S (2012) HIV-related risk behaviors among Roma youth in Serbia: results of two community-based surveys. J Adolesc Health 52:234-240
13. Dobranici M, Buzea A, Popescu R (2012) The cardiovascular risk factors of the Roma (Gypsies) people in Central-Eastern Europe: a review of the published literature. J Med Life 5:382-389
14. Dorkova Z, Sopkova Z, Tkacova R (2010) Risk factors and severity of obstructive sleep apnoea in central European Roma and non-Roma patients referred for a diagnostic polysomnography [corrected]. Int J Public Health 55:429
15. Dostal M, Topinka J, Sram RJ (2010) Comparison of the health of Roma and non-Roma children living in the district of Teplice. Int J Public Health 55:435-441
16. Ekuklu G, Berberoglu U, Eskiocak M, Saltik A (2003) Utilization of primary health care services by Turkish gypsies and members of the general population at Muradiye Health Unit District in Edirne, Turkey. Yonsei Med J 44:414-423
17. Ekuklu G, Deveci S, Eskiocak M, Berberoglu U, Saltik A (2004) Alcoholism prevalence and some related factors in Edirne, Turkey. Yonsei Med J 45:207-214
18. European Union (2008) European parliament resolution of 31 January 2008 on a European strategy on the Roma, 2009/C 68 E06. P6 TA (2008) 0035
19. Foldes ME, Covaci A (2012) Research on Roma health and access to healthcare: state of the art and future challenges. Int J Public Health 57:37-39
20. Gerevich J, Bacskai E, Czobor P, Szabo J (2010) Substance use in Roma and non-Roma adolescents. J Nerv Ment Dis 198:432-436
21. Glazier RH, Bajcar J, Kennie NR, Willson K (2006) A systematic review of interventions to improve diabetes care in socially disadvantaged populations. Diabetes Care 29:1675-1688
22. Green A, Lynch SA (2006) Health of the world's Roma population. Lancet 368:575
23. Gualdi-Russo E, Zironi A, Dallari GV, Toselli S (2009) Migration and health in Italy: a multiethnic adult sample. J Travel Med 16:88-95
24. Gyarmathy VA, Ujhelyi E, Neaigus A (2008) HIV and selected blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections in a predominantly Roma (Gypsy) neighbourhood in Budapest, Hungary: a rapid assessment. Cent Eur J Public Health 16:124-127
25. Gyarmathy VA, Neaigus A, Ujhelyi E (2009) Vulnerability to drug-related infections and co-infections among injecting drug users in Budapest, Hungary. Eur J Public Health 19:260-265
26. Hajioff S, McKee M (2000) The health of the Roma people: a review of the published literature. J Epidemiol Community Health 54:864-869
27. Harden A, Garcia J, Oliver S, Rees R, Shepherd J, Brunton G, Oakley A (2004) Applying systematic review methods to studies of people's views: an example from public health research. J Epidemiol Community Health 58:794-800
28. Hassler S, Eklund L (2012) Sense of coherence and self-reported health among Roma people in Sweden - a pilot study. Int J Circumpolar Health 71:1-6
29. Hidvegi T, Hetyesi K, Biro L, Nadas J, Jermendy G (2011) Screening for metabolic syndrome within a minority ethnic group (adult Gypsy people) in Hungary. Bratisl Lek Listy 113:721-724
30. Hrivniaková L, Sláčiková M, Kolcunová S, Payne L, Coulombier D (2009) Hepatitis A outbreak in a Roma village in Eastern Slovakia, August-November 2008. Euro Surveill 14
31. Hujova Z, Alberty R, Ahlers I, Ahlersova E, Paulikova E, Desatnikova J, Gabor D, Hruba F (2010) Cardiovascular risk predictors in central Slovakian Roma children and adolescents: regional differences. Cent Eur J Public Health 18:139-144
32. Hujova Z, Alberty R, Paulikova E, Ahlers I, Ahlersova E, Gabor D, Dove M (2011) The prevalence of cigarette smoking and its relation to certain risk predictors of cardiovascular diseases in central-Slovakian Roma children and adolescents. Cent Eur J Public Health 19:67-72
33. Hujová Z, Desatnikova J, Gabor D (2009) Some cardiovascular risk factors in Gypsy children and adolescents from Central Slovakia. Bratisl Lek Listy 110:233-239
34. Idzerda L, Adams O, Patrick J, Schrecker T, Tugwell P (2011) Access to primary healthcare services for the Roma population in Serbia: a secondary data analysis. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 11:10
35. Janevic T, Petrovic O, Bjelic I, Kubera A (2010) Risk factors for childhood malnutrition in Roma settlements in Serbia. BMC Public Health 10:509
36. Janevic T, Jankovic J, Bradley E (2011) Socioeconomic position, gender, and inequalities in self-rated health between Roma and non-Roma in Serbia. Int J Public Health: 1-7
37. Janevic T, Jankovic J, Bradley E (2012) Socioeconomic position, gender, and inequalities in self-rated health between Roma and non-Roma in Serbia. Int J Public Health 57:49-55
38. Jiménez-Sánchez S, Fernández-de-las-Peñas C, Jiménez-García R, Hernández-Barrera V, Alonso-Blanco C, Palacios-Ceña D, Carrasco-Garrido P (2013) Prevalence of migraine headaches in the Romany population in Spain sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and co-morbidity. J Transcult Nurs 24:6-13
39. Jones RG, Trivedi AN, Ayanian JZ (2010) Factors influencing the effectiveness of interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Soc Sci Med 70:337-341
40. Kabakchieva E, Amirkhanian YA, Kelly JA, McAuliffe TL, Vassileva S (2002) High levels of sexual HIV/STD risk behaviour among Roma (Gypsy) men in Bulgaria: patterns and predictors of risk in a representative community sample. Int J STD AIDS 13:184-191
41. Kaditis AG, Gourgoulianis K, Tsoutsou P, Papaioannou AI, Fotiadou A, Messini C, Samaras K, Piperi M, Gissaki D, Zintzaras E (2008) Spirometric values in Gypsy (Roma) children. Respir Med 102:1321-1328
42. Kelly JA, Amirkhanian YA, Kabakchieva E, Csepe P, Seal DW, Antonova R, Mihaylov A, Gyukits G (2004) Gender roles and HIV sexual risk vulnerability of Roma (Gypsies) men and women in Bulgaria and Hungary: an ethnographic study. AIDS Care 16:231-245
43. Kelly JA, Amirkhanian YA, Kabakchieva E, Vassileva S, Vassilev B, McAuliffe TL, DiFranceisco WJ, Antonova R, Petrova E, Khoursine RA, Dimitrov B (2006) Prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases in high risk social networks of young Roma (Gypsy) men in Bulgaria: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 333:1098
44. Kohler IV, Preston SH (2011) Ethnic and religious differentials in Bulgarian mortality, 1993-98. Population Studies 65:91-113
45. Kojouharova M, Zuber PL, Gyurova S, Fiore L, Buttinelli G, Kunchev A, Vladimirova N, Korsun N, Filipova R, Boneva R, Gavrilin E, Deshpande JM, Oblapenko G, Wassilak SG (2003) Importation and circulation of poliovirus in Bulgaria in 2001. Bull World Health Organ 81:476-481
46. Kolarcik P, Geckova AM, Orosova O, van Dijk JP, Reijneveld SA (2009) To what extent does socioeconomic status explain differences in health between Roma and non-Roma adolescents in Slovakia? Soc Sci Med 68:1279-1284
47. Kolarcik P, Geckova AM, Orosova O, van Dijk JP, Reijneveld SA (2010) Predictors of health-endangering behaviour among Roma and non-Roma adolescents in Slovakia by gender. J Epidemiol Community Health 64:1043-1048
48. Kolarcik P, Geckova AM, Reijneveld S, van Dijk J (2012) Social support, hopelessness and life satisfaction among Roma and non-Roma adolescents in Slovakia. Int J Public Health 57:905-913
49. Kolvek G, Rosicova K, Rosenberger J, Podracka L, Stewart RE, Nagyova I, Reijneveld SA, van Dijk JP (2012) End-stage renal disease among Roma and non-Roma: Roma are at risk. Int J Public Health 57:751-754
50. Kosa K, Adany R (2007) Studying vulnerable populations: lessons from the Roma minority. Epidemiology 18:290-299
51. Kosa Z, Szeles G, Kardos L, Kosa K, Nemeth R, Orszagh S, Fesus G, McKee M, Adany R, Voko Z (2007) A comparative health survey of the inhabitants of Roma settlements in Hungary. Am J Public Health 97:853-859
52. Koupilova I, Epstein H, Holcik J, Hajioff S, McKee M (2001) Health needs of the Roma population in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Soc Sci Med 53:1191-1204
53. Kraigher A, Vidovic M, Kustec T, Skaza A (2006) Vaccination coverage in hard to reach Roma children in Slovenia. Coll Antropol 30:789-794
54. Krajcovicova-Kudlackova M, Blazicek P, Ginter E, Spustova V (2002) Insulin levels in Gipsy minority. Bratisl Lek Listy 103:459-461
55. Krajcovicova-Kudlackova M, Blazicek P, Spustova V, Valachovicova M, Ginter E (2004) Cardiovascular risk factors in young Gypsy population. Bratisl Lek Listy 105:256-259
56. Loewenberg S (2006) Plight of Roma worsens in Italy. Lancet 375:17-18
57. Lurie N, Jung M, Lavizzo-Mourey R (2005) Disparities and quality improvement: federal policy levers. Health Aff (Millwood) 24:354
58. Maduma-Butshe A, McCarthy N (2013) The burden and impact of measles among the Gypsy-Traveller communities, Thames Valley, 2006-09. J Public Health 35:27-31
59. Majdan M, Coman A, Gallová E, Duricová J, Kállayová D, Kvaková M, Bosák L (2012) Assessment of the indoor environment and implications for health in Roma villages in Slovakia and Romania. Cent Eur J Public Health 20:199-207
60. Mandadzhieva S, Marinov B, Kostianev S, Turnovska T (2005) Anthropometric and cardiopulmonary parameters in Bulgarian and Romany children: cross-sectional study. Croat Med J 46:294-301
61. Masseria C, Mladovsky P, Hernandez-Quevedo C (2010) The socio-economic determinants of the health status of Roma in comparison with non-Roma in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. Eur J Public Health 20:549-554
62. McGorrian C, Frazer K, Daly L, Moore RG, Turner J, Sweeney MR, Staines A, Fitzpatrick P, Kelleher CC (2012) The health care experiences of travellers compared to the general population: the all-Ireland traveller Health Study. J Health Serv Res Policy 17:173-180
63. Meghea CI, Rus D, Rus IA, Holtrop JS, Roman L (2012) Smoking during pregnancy and associated risk factors in a sample of Romanian women. Eur J Public Health 22:229-233
64. Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Ann Intern Med 151:265-269
65. Molnar A, Adany R, Adam B, Gulis G, Kosa K (2010) Health impact assessment and evaluation of a Roma housing project in Hungary. Health Place 16:1240-1247
66. Molnar MZ, Langer RM, Remport A, Czira ME, Rajczy K, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kovesdy CP, Novak M, Mucsi I, Rosivall L (2011) Roma ethnicity and clinical outcomes in kidney transplant recipients. Int Urol Nephrol: 1-10
67. Monasta L, Andersson N, Ledogar RJ, Cockcroft A (2008) Minority health and small numbers epidemiology: a case study of living conditions and the health of children in 5 foreign Roma camps in Italy. Am J Public Health 98:2035-2041
68. Monasta L, Erenbourg A, Restaino S, Lutje V, Ronfani L (2012) Review of the Scientific Literature on the Health of the Roma and the Sinti. Ethn Dis 22:367
69. Olivan G (2002) The health status of delinquent gipsy youths in Spain. Eur J Public Health 12:308
70. Orlikova H, Rogalska J, Kazanowska-Zielinska E, Jankowski T, Slodzinski J, Kess B, Stefanoff P (2010) Spotlight on measles 2010: a measles outbreak in a Roma population in Pulawy, eastern Poland, June to August 2009. Euro Surveill 15
71. Parekh N, Rose T (2011) Health inequalities of the Roma in Europe: a literature review. Cent Eur J Public Health 19:139-142
72. Parry G, Van Cleemput P, Peters J, Walters S, Thomas K, Cooper C (2007) Health status of Gypsies and travellers in England. J Epidem Community Health 61:198
73. Paulik E, Nagymajtenyi L, Easterling D, Rogers T (2011) Smoking behaviour and attitudes of Hungarian Roma and non-Roma population towards tobacco control policies. Int J Public Health 56:485-491
74. Pelzer Moukagni M, Charkaluk ML, Kalach N, Huc A, Do V, Testard MA, Kremp O (2011) Health of gypsy children: medical perinatal care until 6-year-old in Lille. Arch Pediatr 18:135-141
75. Peters J, Parry GD, Van Cleemput P, Moore J, Cooper CL, Walters SJ (2009) Health and use of health services: a comparison between Gypsies and Travellers and other ethnic groups. Ethn Health 14:359-377
76. Pinkney K (2012) The practice and attitudes of gypsy and traveller women towards early infant feeding. Comm Prac 85:26-29
77. Rambouskova J, Dlouhy P, Krizova E, Prochazka B, Hrncirova D, Andel M (2009) Health behaviors, nutritional status, and anthropometric parameters of Roma and non-Roma mothers and their infants in the Czech Republic. J Nutr Educ Behav 41:58-64
78. Rosicova K, Geckova AM, van Dijk JP, Rosic M, Zezula I, Groothoff JW (2009) Socioeconomic indicators and ethnicity as determinants of regional mortality rates in Slovakia. Int J Public Health 54:274-282
79. Rosicova K, Geckova AM, Rosic M, Speybroeck N, Groothoff JW, van Dijk JP (2011a) Socioeconomic factors, ethnicity and alcohol-related mortality in regions in Slovakia. What might a tree analysis add to our understanding? Health Place 17:701-709
80. Rosicova K, Madarasova Geckova A, van Dijk JP, Kollarova J, Rosic M, Groothoff JW (2011b) Regional socioeconomic indicators and ethnicity as predictors of regional infant mortality rate in Slovakia. Int J Public Health 56:523-531
81. Sepkowitz KA (2006) Health of the world's Roma population. Lancet 367:1707
82. Sipetic S, Ilic D, Marinkovic J, Vlajinac H, Bjegovic V, Cucic V, Laaser U (2012) HIV/AIDS risk behaviours among Roma and non-Roma sex workers in Belgrade (Serbia). Coll Antropol 36:1197-1203
83. Skaric-Juric T, Klaric IM, Narancic NS, Drmic S, Salihovic MP, Lauc LB, Milicic J, Barabalic M, Zajc M, Janicijevic B (2007) Trapped between tradition and transition-anthropological and epidemiological cross-sectional study of Bayash Roma in Croatia. Croat Med J 48:708-719
84. Skodova Z, van Dijk JP, Nagyova I, Rosenberger J, Ondusova D, Studencan M, Reijneveld SA (2010) 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
85. Spiroski I, Dimitrovska Z, Gjorgjev D, Mikik V, Efremova-Stefanoska V, Naunova-Spiroska D, Kendrovski V (2011) Nutritional status and growth parameters of school-age Roma children in the Republic of Macedonia. Cent Eur J Public Health 19:102
86. Stefanoff P, Orlikova H, Rogalska J, Kazanowska-Zielinska E, Slodzinski J (2010) Mass immunisation campaign in a Roma settled community created an opportunity to estimate its size and measles vaccination uptake, Poland, 2009. Euro Surveill 33:16-21
87. Stojanovski K, McWeeney G, Emiroglu N, Ostlin P, Koller T, Licare L, Kaluski DN (2012) Risk factors for low vaccination coverage among Roma children in disadvantaged settlements in Belgrade, Serbia. Vaccine 30:5459-5463
88. Teira R, Suárez-Lozano I, Lozano F, Viciana P, Domingo P, Galindo P, Geijo P, Terrón A, González J, Cosín J (2010) Characteristics and outcome of HIV infection in gypsies in the Spanish VACH Cohort. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 28:266-272
89. Tsimaras V, Arzoglou D, Fotiadou E, Kokaridas D, Kotzamanidou M, Angelopoulou N, Bassa E (2011) Gross motor ability of native Greek, Roma, and Roma immigrant school-age children in Greece. Percept Mot Skills 112:279-288
90. Van Cleemput P, Parry G (2001) Health status of gypsy travellers. J Public Health 23:129
91. Van Cleemput P, Parry G, Thomas K, Peters J, Cooper C (2007) Health-related beliefs and experiences of Gypsies and Travellers: a qualitative study. J Epidemiol Community Health 61:205-210
92. Vantarakis A, Nearxou A, Pagonidis D, Melegos F, Seretidis J, Kokkinos P, Zarkadis I, Parasidis T, Alamanos Y (2010) An outbreak of hepatitis A in Roma populations living in three prefectures in Greece. Epidemiol Infect 138:1025-1031
93. Vašečka M, Radičová I (2001) Social exclusion and double marginalisation of the Roma in the Slovak Republic after 1989. Labor, employment and social policies in the EU enlargement process. The World Bank, Washington D.C
94. Vermeersch P, Ram MH (2009) The Roma. In: Rechel B (ed) Minority rights in central and Eastern Europe. Routledge, London
95. Voko Z, Csepe P, Nemeth R, Kosa K, Kosa Z, Szeles G, Adany R (2009) Does socioeconomic status fully mediate the effect of ethnicity on the health of Roma people in Hungary? J Epidemiol Community Health 63:455-460
96. Vorvolakos T, Samakouri M, Tripsianis G, Tsatalmpasidou E, Arvaniti A, Terzoudi A, Livaditis M (2012) Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of Roma and non-Roma psychiatric outpatients in Greece. Ethn Health 17:161-169
97. Vozarova de Courten B, de Courten M, Hanson RL, Zahorakova A, Egyenes HP, Tataranni PA, Bennett PH, Vozar J (2003) Higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases in gypsies than in non-gypsies in Slovakia. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 62:95-103
98. Zeljko H, Skaric-Juric T, Narancic NS, Salihovic MP, Klaric IM, Barbalic M, Starcevic B, Lauc LB, Janicijevic B (2008) Traditional CVD risk factors and socio-economic deprivation in Roma minority population of Croatia. Coll Antropol 32:667-676
99. Zeljko HM, Škarić-Jurić T, Narančić NS, Barešić A, Tomas Ž, Petranović MZ, Miličić J, Salihović MP, Janićijević B (2012) Age trends in prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Roma minority population of Croatia. Econ Hum Biol
100. Zeman CL, Depken DE, Senchina DS (2003) Roma health issues: a review of the literature and discussion. Ethn Health 8:223-249
101. Zivkovic TB, Marjanovic M, Prgomelja S, Soldatovic I, Koprivica B, Ackovic D, Zivkovic R (2010) Screening for diabetes among Roma people living in Serbia. Croat Med J 51:144-150