Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov;39(6):1246-1254.
doi: 10.1111/phn.13120. Epub 2022 Jul 21.

Reducing health disparities: Adherence to referrals for further diagnosis among asylum seeking children

Anat Amit Aharon  1
Affiliations

Reducing health disparities: Adherence to referrals for further diagnosis among asylum seeking children

Anat Amit Aharon. Public Health Nurs. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: Asylum-seeking children are most vulnerable to health problems and non-utilization of health amenities. The aim of the study was to compare adherence with referrals for further diagnostic tests among asylum-seeking children and native Israeli children.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Sample: The study was conducted among 3508 children born in 2016-2017, with two randomized sample groups: Israeli children (n = 243) and asylum-seeking children (n = 271). Data were retrieved from the children's medical files.

Measurements: Referrals for further diagnostic tests were defined as written referrals by a public health nurse or pediatrician. Data collected included the child's and mother's details, as well as data on referrals. A multiple logistic regression test was performed to detect risk variables for non-adherence to referrals.

Results: No differences were found between the groups regarding adherence to referrals for further diagnosis. Having medical insurance did not explain adherence to referrals. Asylum-seeking children have more need for further follow-up than do Israeli children.

Conclusion: Asylum-seeking children and Israeli children respond similarly to the preventive health services offered with equal accessibility. Public health nurses have an essential role in encouraging adherence to screening tests and to referrals for further diagnostic tests and in mitigating health disparities among asylum-seeking children.

Keywords: asylum-seeking children; developmental, growth, physical disorders; health disparities; mother-child health clinics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author has no relevant financial or non‐financial interests to disclose.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Abdus, S. , & Selden, T. M. (2013). Adherence with recommended well‐child visits has grown, but large gaps persist among various socioeconomic groups. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 32(3), 508–515. 10.1377/hlthaff.2012.0691 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alwan, R. , Schumacher, D. , Cicek‐Okay, S. , ernigan, S. , Beydoun, A. , Salem, T. , & Vaughn, L. (2020). Beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors impacting health care utilization of Syrian refugee children. Plos One, 15(8), e0237081. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bischoff, A. , Bovier, P. A. , Rrustemi, I. , Gariazzo, F. , Eytan, A. , & Loutan, L. (2003). Language barriers between nurses and asylum seekers: Their impact on symptom reporting and referral. Social Science & Medicine, 57(3), 503–512. 10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00376-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chung, P. J. , Lee, T. C. , Morrison, J. L. , & Schuster, M. A. (2006). Preventive care for children in the United States: Quality and barriers. Annual Review of Public Health, 27, 491–515. 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.27.021405.102155 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Faul, F. , Erdfelder, E. , Buchner, A. , & Lang, A.‐G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160. 10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149 - DOI - PubMed