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PubMed1988

Dental health status in two groups of refugees in Sweden.

The aim of this study was to determine dental health status in two separate groups of Chilean and Polish refugees in Sweden. In Scandinavia, Sweden has the largest number of immigrants--1 million out of a population of 8.3 million. Since 1975, most immigrants have been refugees and their families. During 1978-82 Sweden granted residency to 20,000 refugees, the two largest groups being Chileans and Poles. In 1981-83 a sample of 193 Chilean and 92 Polish refugees in the county of Stockholm were selected for this study. The investigation consisted of a questionnaire followed by clinical examination, including roentgenograms. The average age was 34.0 years in the Chilean group and 34.8 years in the Polish group. The Chileans had been in Sweden for 17.3 months on an average and the Poles for 16.0 months. The Chileans had an average of 10.0 carious surfaces, D(s), and the Poles 11.3. Gingivitis was recorded in 87% of the total number of sites examined in the Chilean group. The corresponding figure in the Polish group was 79%. Of the Chileans 36.5% and of the Poles 32.5% had periodontal pockets measuring more than 5 mm. The results indicate that, when compared with Swedish individuals of a corresponding age, the refugee groups have a high prevalence of caries and periodontal disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

An estimation of dental treatment needs in two groups of refugees in Sweden.

The aim of this study was to estimate dental treatment need in groups of Chilean and Polish refugees in Sweden. Of the Nordic countries, Sweden accepts the greatest number of refugees. An average of 5000 refugees arrived annually in 1981-85, increasing to 15,000 during 1986-87. Refugees and their families now comprise 93% of non-Nordic immigration. In 1981-83 a sample of 193 Chilean and 92 Polish refugees in the county of Stockholm was selected for this study. Dental treatment needs were calculated in accordance with CPITN and the working study of Swedish dentistry, which formed the basis for the Swedish scale of dental fees for the National Dental Insurance Scheme. The estimated mean treatment time (+/- SD) in the Chilean sample was 6.9 +/- 2.3 h and in the Polish group 8.4 +/- 3.0; in comparison with estimated treatment needs in a Swedish material, both would be classified as extreme risk groups. There was no correlation between the number of months in Sweden and the estimated treatment needs. The results indicate a cumulative, unmet need for dental care in these groups. Barriers to ensuring adequate health care for immigrants persist; special outreach programmes, conducted by dental health personnel, may be an effective means of introducing immigrants to the Swedish dental care system.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Afghan refugees in California: mental health issues.

Refugees are a particularly vulnerable population that is at risk for mental health problems for a variety of reasons: traumatic experiences in and escapes from their countries of origin, difficult camp or transit experiences, culture conflict and adjustment problems in the country of resettlement, and multiple losses--family members, country, and way of life. Afghan refugees comprise the largest refugee population in the world, at its peak numbering more than 6 million, living mainly in Pakistan and Iran. Based on an ethnographic study of Afghan refugees in Northern California, this article describes common antecedents to and examples of mental health problems in this population, such as depression, somatic symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder. It reviews some of the literature on traumatized refugees and makes some suggestions to mental health providers.

Acculturation↗
PubMed2003

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C markers among refugees in Athens.

AIM: To assess the prevalence of hepatitis B and C serological markers in a population of refugees living in Athens. METHODS: One hundred and thirty refugees (81 males and 49 females, mean age +/-SD: 31.7+/-8 years) were included in the study. The hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), the hepatitis B virus core antibody (anti-HBc) and the hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) were detected using a third-generation immunoassay. RESULTS: Twenty individuals (15.4 %) were HBsAg positive and 69 (53.1 %) were anti-HBc positive. The prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBc was higher among refugees from Albania and Asia (statistical significant difference, P<0.008 and P<0.001 respectively). The prevalence of these markers was found irrelevant to age or sex. Anti-HCV was detected in the serum of 3 individuals (2.3 %). No differences among age, sex or ethnicity regarding anti-HCV prevalence were found. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that refugees living in Athens are an immigrant population characterized by a high incidence of HBV infection. The prevalence of HBV markers is higher among refugees from Albania and Asia. It is therefore believed that the adherence to general precautions and the initiation of HBV vaccination programs will be necessary in the future, especially in these communities. Although the prevalence of HCV infection seems to be relatively low, extended epidemiological surveys are needed to provide valid results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in Southeast Asian refugees arriving in the United States--isolation of enterovirus 70.

During July-September 1980, an epidemic of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) occurred in several refugee camps and transit centers in Southeast Asia. Of 2,356 refugees examined in Bangkok, 200 (8.5%) had conjunctivitis, including 116 (58%) with hemorrhagic signs. Because increasing numbers of refugees were arriving in the United States with conjunctivitis, a program of surveillance and control was implemented. Enterovirus 70, not previously reported from patients in the Western Hemisphere, was cultured from four arriving refugees. A fourfold rise in titer to enterovirus 70 was found in 10 others, either in the United States or Thailand. After control measures were instituted, the prevalence of the United States or Thailand. After control measures were instituted, the prevalence of conjunctivitis in arriving refugees declined from 49.8 per 1,000 to 3.8 per 1,000. Follow-up of cases after arrival in the United States revealed only one possible secondary case. Extensive epidemics of AHC in the Western Hemisphere are most likely to occur following importation into the humid, coastal areas of Central and South America.

Asia, Southeastern↗
PubMed1984

Primaquine-chloroquine prophylaxis against malaria in Southeast-Asian refugees entering South Australia.

In 1980, the incidence of malaria among Southeast-Asian refugees arriving in South Australia rose substantially to 22.0 cases/1000 arrivals. All these cases were caused by Plasmodium vivax, and the majority occurred in the small proportion of refugees who had arrived by way of Indonesian camps of asylum (59.2 cases/1000 arrivals). The commencement of an eight-week prophylactic regimen with primaquine (22.5 mg/week) and chloroquine (300 mg/week; 600 mg first dose) by 1388 refugees proved significantly effective in reducing the incidence of malaria among this population. The regimen was administered without the assessment of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase levels, and a transient haemoglobinuria occurred in only one refugee. Other side-effects were minimal when the administration of drugs was delayed until several days after the arrival of the refugee in Australia.

Asia, Southeastern↗
PubMed2000

Efficacy of 1% permethrin for the treatment of head louse infestations among Kosovar refugees.

We assessed the prevalence of head louse infestation and the effectiveness of 1% permethrin against head lice in Kosovar refugees. A currently infested case was defined as a person with observable crawling lice (adults or nymphs) or a person with nits on the hair shaft within a quarter-inch of the scalp. Of the 1,051 refugees screened upon arrival in the United States, 107 (10%) were infested. Crawling lice (adults or nymphs) were observed on 62 (6%) of the individuals examined. Refugees with crawling lice were treated with a pediculicide containing 1% permethrin. Of these, 57 were reexamined the next day. Twenty of the 57 individuals were reexamined 7 days after treatment. No crawling lice were found on any of the refugees examined after treatment. We conclude that 1% permethrin treatment was effective in louse control in this refugee population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Psychiatric/psychological work with refugees and asylum seekers].

BACKGROUND: In 1998 the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees performed a survey in order to study the number of refugees/asylum seekers referred during 1997 and to look for special problems in the work with these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 115 psychiatric outpatient clinics, hospitals and family counselor offices. Items included were diagnoses, treatment, areas of work experienced as difficult, and the existence of cooperation between primary care and psychiatric services. RESULTS: The majority of units reported that less than ten refugee patients were referred during 1997. Problems related to culture and communication as well as trauma-related problems were reported as the most difficult areas. Only one third of the units reported regular cooperation with primary health care. INTERPRETATION: The number of referred refugee patient was lower than expected. One explanation may be that general practitioners view psychiatric units as inaccessible for referral due to lack of resources. As a consequence, psychiatric health personnel do not develop the experience and competence that is necessary for treating these patients. Regular cooperation between psychiatric units treating refugees and the primary health care is also important because of the fact that many traumatized refugees have somatic complaints resulting from maltreatment and torture.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2000

Outcome of medical screening of Kosovan refugees in Ireland: 1999.

In March 1999 armed conflict broke out in Kosova and about 900,000 ethnic Albanians were displaced. We reviewed the health care offered to the 945 Kosovan refugees who arrived in Ireland in 1999, which included screening for tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis B. On arrival in Ireland 540 refugees had already received oral polio vaccine (57%), 512 diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis or diphtheria and tetanus vaccine (54%), 310 BCG (33%), 207 measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (22%) and 60 Haemophilus influenzae type b (6%). Twelve refugees were diagnosed with TB. Twenty-six refugees were HBsAg positive (3%) and 168 were anti-HBcAg positive (18%). Organised screening of Kosovan refugees on a voluntary basis (uptake > 95%) revealed low percentages who had been immunised and relatively high rates of TB and hepatitis B. The provision of optimum immunisation, screening, and treatment services to address these issues requires substantial staffing and financial resources.

Albania↗
PubMed2001

Depression among immigrant Mexican women and Southeast Asian refugee women in the U. S.

Although immigrants and refugees share the experience of adapting to a new country, life experiences and circumstances surrounding leaving their homelands are vastly different. The most salient difference is their motivation for leaving. Immigrants typically leave their homeland to seek improved economic opportunities and/or to join other family members. Refugees leave their homeland under the threat of injury or loss of life due to political or religious persecution and severe deprivation of basic life necessities. Since the decision to migrate is often viewed as a positive change for immigrant women in comparison to refugee women, mental health problems may be under -detected. The researchers will describe the prevalence of depression in two of the largest groups of migrant women in the U.S., immigrant Mexican women (N=220) and refugee Southeast Asian women (N=163). The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast life circumstances that may impact on the prevalence of depression in both groups of women. The issues presented are important for nurses internationally who assess and design interventions for immigrant and refugee populations of women.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Refugee remittances: conceptual issues and the Cuban and Nicaraguan experiences.

"This article assesses the notion that the determinants of remittances generated by refugee flows, particularly from Communist-inspired systems, are different from those associated with labor migrations....These differences have a major bearing on how labor migrants and refugees perceive their relationship with countries of origin. The propensity of labor migrants to dissociate themselves from the home country is considerably less than among refugees whose perceptions are mediated by opposition to the ruling regime and other factors, such as political relations between refugee-sending and refugee-receiving countries and whether or not there has been a regime change or one is expected to occur. The conceptual issues elaborated here are based on the Cuban-American experience, but also reflect an assessment of Nicaraguan emigration during the 1980s."

Americas↗
PubMedDate not supplied

African refugee migration: a model and research agenda.

"This article elaborates upon the problems of the refugee crisis in Africa. With around 4 million refugees, heavily concentrated in particular African nations like Sudan and Somalia, the impacts on the host country can be severe. A model, dealing with the process of refugee migration, with particular reference to impacts on host countries, is developed. Negative impacts include military attacks on communities in the host country. One positive impact is the increase in the number of development-type projects which go beyond the mandate of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. A tentative research agenda on African refugee migration is put forward."

Africa↗
PubMed1994

[Refugee movements in the post-Cold War era].

"This article briefly describes the scope and dimensions of contemporary refugee movements by analyzing some of the forces which shape these flows. Democratization, problems of nationality and minority rights, and structural, political, economic, environmental and social changes in the post-Cold War world (especially in large parts of the developing world and in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union), are likely to result in growing numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons in the years ahead. Refugees and asylum seekers are increasingly regarded not only as a major humanitarian challenge but as a political problem and a threat to the national security of Western states. Refugee policy involves much more than defining or adjudicating claims for asylum, safe haven and refugee status for those who seek to enter or stay in the West. It is now apparent that an effective response to these issues will have to involve major Western foreign policy and international actions." (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Demography↗
PubMed1992

Use of traditional and modern health services by Laotian refugees.

Although refugee health care emerged as a special interest in the United States following the influx of almost a million Southeast Asians since 1975, few studies have been done of the influence of refugee traditions on the use of Western medical services. The illness patterns, medical beliefs, and health care behavior of a Southeast Asian refugee group, the Mien from Laos are described in this study. A cohort of 119 Mien refugees living in Richmond, California, was observed for a 6-month period. In-home interviews were undertaken about all episodes of ill health, including treatment and health care decisions. This study shows that the Mien integrate traditional healing beliefs and practices with the use of American health services. Such findings are important because the increasing cultural diversity in the United States, particularly in Western states, necessitates that health care professionals understand the importance of cultural factors for access to and the use of health care by all patients including refugees and other immigrant groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Temperament and character in cross-cultural comparisons between Swedish and Iranian people and Iranian refugees in Sweden--personality in transition?

The aim of the study was a cross-cultural comparison of personality traits between individuals from two very different cultures and refugees who resettled several years before from one to the other. Four hundred forty four Swedish individuals of the normal population; and 100 Iranian refugees in Sweden, and a group of 335 individuals from Tehran, capital of Iran, were investigated by means of the Temperament and Character Inventory, a questionnaire to assess temperament and character Iranians are those that are most frequently correctly classified followed by the Swedish based on temperament scores by means of a Discriminance analyses. Iranian refugees in Sweden were classified to about 50 per cent as Swedish and to slightly more then one-third as Iranians. Especially concerning character, 4 per cent only could be correctly classified as refugees. The results give some perspective on the adaptation process and personality changes in refugees several years after resettlement in another country with a complete different culture.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

The health status of quota refugees screened by New Zealand's Auckland Public Health Service between 1995 and 2000.

Each year New Zealand accepts approximately 750 refugees from overseas for resettlement in New Zealand. Known as "Quota Refugees", these people arrive in groups of 125 six times each year. Since 1979 their first six weeks in New Zealand have been spent at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland. This Centre comprises several agencies which prepare the refugees for their life in New Zealand. Among the agencies is a Medical Clinic, which provides health screening, and management of any medical problems found. This paper describes the findings of the health screening, mainly those refugees screened between 1995 and 2000, but also includes some historical data from the opening of the Resettlement Centre.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Southeast Asian refugee children: a school-based mental health intervention.

One particular focus of refugee studies in the United States has been the violence experience of Southeast Asian (S.E.A.) refugee children and its impact on mental health and school adaptation. Although virtually all researchers have found that the children have high rates of depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder, findings concerning successful school adaptation have been inconclusive. Even so, concern has been generated on how to best meet the children's mental health needs. The purpose of our study was to provide an eight-week school-based program that was designed to reduce depression symptoms of S.E.A. refugee children. Specifically, this collaborative program addressed refugee adaptation issues, children's culture and the development of coping skills. All of the children were screened for depression using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Analysis of CDI data revealed that children's depression scores had a significant decrease between screening times 1 (approximately one month before the intervention) and 2 (fourth week of the intervention), 1 and 3 (eighth week of the intervention) and 1 and 4 (one month following the intervention). Globally, culturally sensitive mental health school-based programs may be an appropriate intervention to assist immigrant and refugee children in making a successful adaptation to host countries.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In the "best interest" of immigrant and refugee children: deliberating on their unique circumstances.

Each year, state juvenile courts provide thousands of immigrant and refugee children with access to consistent and reliable caregiving and a stable environment. To examine how courts interpret "the best interests" of immigrant and refugee children, this article examines 24 cases in courts across the United States, which indicate they use a territorial approach when evaluating the best interests standard. Although legal status was not an issue, many related factors were. Consequently, the courts restricted immigrant parents' rights in caring, guiding, and visiting their children; increased the risk of wrongfully terminating parental rights; and intensified the unpredictability of immigrant and refugee children's welfare in the long run. This article suggests an approach that encourages communication between social workers and the courts to address the special needs and circumstances of immigrant and refugee children on three key topics: the material and moral welfare of the child, and social welfare for immigrant and refugee families.

Child↗