Roma populations and health inequalities: a new perspective

Orton, Lois; Cuevas, Rachael Anderson de; Stojanovski, Kristefer; Gamella, Juan F.; Greenfields, Margaret; Parra, Daniel; Marcu, Oanna; Matras, Yaron; Donert, Celia; Frost, Diane; Robinson, Jude; Rosenhaft, Eve; Salway, Sarah; Sheard, Sally; Such, Elizabeth; Taylor-Robinson, David; Whitehead, Margaret

doi:10.1108/ijhrh-01-2019-0004

Cited by 19 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…People living in segregated areas not only experience social exclusion [ 26 , 38 ], but also genetic susceptibility, which might increase their risk for some unhealthy behaviours or diseases [ 38 , 39 ]. Knowing the genetic characteristics behind smoking behaviours is crucial so that new interventions can be utilized for smoking cessation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roma Socioeconomic Status Has a Higher Impact on Smoking Behaviour than Genetic Susceptibility

Merzah

Kósa

Sándor

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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It is a matter of speculation whether the high prevalence of smoking among Hungarian Roma (HR) is related to genetic, gene-environmental interactions or cultural factors. Our aim is to compare the genetic susceptibility and possible effects of determinants associated with smoking behaviours in the Hungarian general (HG) and Roma populations. A complex health survey including three pillars (questionnaire, physical and laboratory examinations) was carried out (NHG = 412 and NHR = 402). Risk allele frequencies of ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were compared, and their combined effect was estimated by computing unweighted and weighted genetic risk scores (GRS, wGRS). The effects of genetic and environmental factors were investigated in regression analyses after confounders were introduced. Socio-economic status (SES) was calculated based on the Kuppuswamy scale 2019. Risk allele frequencies of only four SNPs were found to be different between populations (p < 0.01). Median values of GRS did not differ, while the wGRS median was slightly higher among Roma individuals (5.2 vs. 4.9; p = 0.02). Roma individuals were more likely to be heavy smokers (ORmales = 2.05, 95% CI [1.47–2.86]; ORfemales = 1.89, 95% CI [1.58–2.25]. Smokers have lower SES compared to never smokers (SES βHR = −0.039, p = 0.023; βHG = −0.010, p = 0.049). An inverse relationship was found between SES and smoking behaviours (p < 0.0001) and was found to be a better predictor of smoking behaviours than genetic susceptibility. Our study findings suggest that the high prevalence of smoking behaviours and nicotine-dependence were not revealed to have a genetic susceptibility among HR individuals; therefore, the highest efforts should be focused on targeting SES-related factors in the Roma population. Strengths of the study: This is the first study carried out to investigate and detect the most relevant factors and the possible genetic background of the extremely high prevalence of smoking based in the Roma population. Limitations of the study: No standard instrument has been used to assess the intensity of addiction to nicotine. Because of some participants’ unwillingness to define themselves as Roma, the overall HR population was not represented by the sample of this study.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roma Socioeconomic Status Has a Higher Impact on Smoking Behaviour than Genetic Susceptibility

Merzah

Kósa

Sándor

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Studies of the health status of the Roma show a close connection with the social determinants of health. Many of these factors act in a complex and combined way on people living in disadvantaged conditions [16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Risk Factors: Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose Among Roma in Bulgaria

Kamburova¹

2021

JofIMAB

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Roma communities suffer from higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and related impairments and limitations in daily activities. Purpose of the article is to study and analyze health risk factors: body mass index, blood pressure and blood glucose among the Roma population in small cities in Bulgaria. Material/Methods: In May 2015, a community-based approach was applied, and all adult residents of the Roma neighborhood of the town of Knezha, district of Pleven, were invited to participate. Only the persons who agreed to participate (59) or about 9% of the adult residents of Roma origin are included. By measuring BMI, blood pressure and blood glucose, the collection of primary data was done. The statistical processing of the data with Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and STATGRAPHICS-19 centurion software packages was performed. The significance of the results and conclusions was determined at p<0.05. Results: The Roma population is characterized by an unfavorable risk constellation and a health profile. Over two thirds (77.1%) of the participants in the study have BMI values above the normal. There is a high relative share of people with hypertension – 42.3% of Roma people covered. Elevated levels of blood sugar were found in almost 40% of the people observed: in equal relative shares are presented the persons with impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetic) and diabetes mellitus – respectively 18.7%. Conclusions: The study found a wide distribution of unhealthy factors of lifestyle among Roma population, and particularly alarming results are established regarding to the health of the Roma women.

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“…This is also the official term used by both the European institutions and most of the member states. The common origin of this diverse population is supported by historic, linguistic and genetic studies, pointing to the fact that, against common misconceptions, many Roma have been living in the same geographic areas and have mixed with the other local native populations in different degrees for generations (Gamella and Carrasco-Muñoz 2017;Matras 2015;Orton et al 2019) which has resulted in considerable variation in their social forms (use of the language, religion affiliation, economic conditions, housing, and others). Furthermore, their countries of residence present important variation in their political history (e.g.…”

Section: The Roma In Europementioning

confidence: 99%

Who gets the blame and who gets the credit? Policing, assistance, and political trust among the Roma in Europe

Mitchell¹,

Parra‐Casado²

2022

Preprint

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In many European countries the Roma are the largest minority group, and research often highlights their heightened exposure to discrimination, harassment, and even abuse during interactions with the state, and the majority group. In contrast, many governments have assistance programs targeted to the Roma in an effort to boost integration. However, there is strikingly little systematic quantitative research on how these experiences are related to the trust that the Roma place in political institutions. This study addresses this gap by using EU-MIDIS II data from 9 European countries (n=7,947) to assess the relationship between institutional trust and the experiences the Roma have with the police and assistance programs. Our analyses show that different experiences relate to trust in institutions differently: interactions with the police, either by being stopped or assaulted are most strongly associated with lower trust in the police and local government. In contrast, those who report having received assistance based on their minority membership are associated with modestly higher levels of trust across institution types. These results are consistent across the countries included in the analysis, and highlight the importance of institutional assistance and procedural justice in fostering or eroding trust amongst minority populations.

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Roma populations and health inequalities: a new perspective

Cited by 19 publications

References 21 publications

Roma Socioeconomic Status Has a Higher Impact on Smoking Behaviour than Genetic Susceptibility

Roma Socioeconomic Status Has a Higher Impact on Smoking Behaviour than Genetic Susceptibility

Health Risk Factors: Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose Among Roma in Bulgaria

Who gets the blame and who gets the credit? Policing, assistance, and political trust among the Roma in Europe

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