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The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on May 3, 2006
The European Journal of Public Health 2006 16(4):394-399; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckl046
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Migration and health

Use of health care services by Afghan, Iranian, and Somali refugees and asylum seekers living in The Netherlands

Annette A. M. Gerritsen1,2, Inge Bramsen1,2, Walter Devillé3, Loes H. M. van Willigen4, Johannes E. Hovens5 and Henk M. van der Ploeg1,2

1 Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
3 NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
4 Consultancy for Health and Human Rights, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
5 Delta Bouman Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, Poortugaal, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Annette A. M. Gerritsen, PhD, Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Centre, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Room D433, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands, tel: +31 20 4448088, fax: +31 20 4448181, e-mail: aam.gerritsen{at}vumc.nl

Background: Although asylum seekers have been coming to The Netherlands since the 1980s, very few epidemiological studies have focused on this group of inhabitants, or on the refugees who have resettled in this country. The objective of this study is to estimate the use of health care services by refugees and asylum seekers and to identify determinants for this utilisation. Methods: A population-based study was conducted in The Netherlands from June 2003 to April 2004 among adult refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iran, and Somalia. A total of 178 refugees and 232 asylum seekers, living in 3 municipalities and 14 reception centres, participated. Results: This study showed that there are no differences between refugees and asylum seekers in the self-reported use of health care services. Respondents from Somalia reported less contacts with a general practitioner, less use of mental health services, and less medication use than respondents from Afghanistan and Iran. Both female gender and older age were related to more contacts with a general practitioner and a medical specialist, and with higher medication use. Poor general health was related to more contacts with a medical specialist and mental health services, and with higher medication use. Conclusion: Asylum seekers and refugees seem to have equal access to the Dutch health care system in general. However, there are differences in the self-reported use of health care services by the different ethnic groups.

Keywords: determinants, health services, prevalence study, refugee


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