Low prevalence of spectacle use in the Hungarian Roma population indicates unmet health needs

Losonczy, Gergely; Pikó, Péter; Klevering, B. Jeroen; Kósa, Zsigmond; Sándor, János; Ádány, Róza

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-07880-3

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…To evaluate the observed proportions, the prevalence of using glasses or consulting an ophthalmologist was computed for other age groups. A former Hungarian survey reported a 24.0% prevalence for the 20–64-year age group [ 32 ], which was lower, while another survey published 84.3% for the 50+-year age group [ 31 ], which was higher than the corresponding values observed in our investigation (36.9% and 59.8%, respectively).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

“…The prevalence of less than 0.5 visual acuity was 8.8% among 20- to 64-year-old Hungarian adults in a regional survey. The frequency of wearing glasses among participants with a visual acuity of <0.5 was 77.1% but was much less (14.3%) among participants from the ethnic minority (Roma) population, which demonstrated the presence of a huge social inequality in Hungarian eye care [ 32 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Screening for Patients with Visual Acuity Loss in Primary Health Care: A Cross Sectional Study in a Deprived Hungarian Population

Wasnik,

Győri-Dani,

Vincze

et al. 2023

Healthcare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Screening for visual acuity loss (VAL) is not applied systematically because of uncertain recommendations based on observations from affordable countries. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of primary health care-based screening. A cross-sectional investigation was carried out among adults who did not wear glasses and did not visit an ophthalmologist in a year (N = 2070). The risk factor role of sociodemographic factors and the cardiometabolic status for hidden VAL was determined by multivariable linear regression models. The prevalence of unknown VAL of at least 0.5 was 3.7% and 9.1% in adults and in the above-65 population. Female sex (b = 1.27, 95% CI: 0.35; 2.18), age (b = 0.15, 0.12; 0.19), and Roma ethnicity (b = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.22; 3.97) were significant risk factors. Higher than primary school (bsecondaryschoolwithoutgraduation = −2.06, 95% CI: −3.64; −0.47; and bsecondaryschoolwithgraduation = −2.08, 95% CI: −3.65; −0.51), employment (b = −1.33, 95% CI: −2.25; 0.40), and properly treated diabetes mellitus (b = −2.84, 95% CI: −5.08; −0.60) were protective factors. Above 65 years, female sex (b = 3.85, 95% CI: 0.50; 7.20), age (b = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.10; 0.67), Roma ethnicity (b = 24.79, 95% CI: 13.83; 35.76), and untreated diabetes (b = 7.30, 95% CI: 1.29; 13.31) were associated with VAL. Considering the huge differences between the health care and the population’s social status of the recommendation-establishing countries and Hungary which represent non-high-income countries, the uncertain recommendation of VAL screening should not discourage general practitioners from organizing population-based screening for VAL in non-affordable populations.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for Patients with Visual Acuity Loss in Primary Health Care: A Cross Sectional Study in a Deprived Hungarian Population

Wasnik,

Győri-Dani,

Vincze

et al. 2023

Healthcare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Limited information is available on the eye care of Roma children in Eastern Europe. A study of adults in Hungary published in 2022 found that in groups with visual acuity below 0.5 in both eyes, the percentage of people wearing eyeglasses was significantly lower in Roma compared to non-Roma (14.3 vs. 77.1%, p < 0.001) ( 31 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and evaluation of an intervention to promote the use of eyeglasses among Romani families in Bulgaria

Kodjebacheva

Hristova

Savov³

2023

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveUncorrected refractive error (i.e., lack of eyeglasses for the treatment of refractive error) is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in Eastern Europe. Limited information is available on how to promote the use of eyeglasses among Romani families in Bulgaria. In step 1, the objective was to obtain suggestions by Romani mothers on how to promote the use of eyeglasses among children. In step 2, the objective was to evaluate an intervention to promote the use of eyeglasses based on suggestions received during step 1.MethodsDuring step 1, 5 focus groups with Romani mothers took place in one neighborhood in Bulgaria. During step 2, the intervention used a one-group pre-test, post-test design. Families received eye examinations. Those who needed eyeglasses chose attractive eyeglasses. Parents received education on how to encourage their children to wear eyeglasses.ResultsDuring step 1, 54 mothers participated. Mothers suggested that the whole family should receive eye examinations and eyeglasses. During step 2, of 33 family members, 14 did not have refractive errors and 19 did. Of the 19 family members with refractive error, none had eyeglasses at pre-test. Approximately 6 months following the end of the intervention, 11 of the 19 family members (57.9%) wore eyeglasses and the remaining 8 (42.1%) did not.ConclusionRomani family members needed eyeglasses but did not have any at pre-test of the intervention. Future interventions that offer education on the importance of eye examinations may increase receipt of eye examinations and adherence to wearing eyeglasses.

show abstract

“…The Roma population in Central and Eastern Europe faces numerous challenges when it comes to accessing healthcare, resulting in a higher likelihood of unmet health needs compared to their non-Roma counterparts ( 13 , 14 ). Multiple studies have identified various barriers, including poverty, lower education levels, limited health literacy, administrative obstacles related to displacement and lack of identification documents ( 15 , 16 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening attendance disparities among Hungarian-speaking Roma and non-Roma women in central and eastern European countries

Mózes,

Takács,

Ungvari

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Roma populations in Central and Eastern Europe are two to three times more likely to have unmet health needs compared to non-Roma residents. The aim of the present study was to investigate the disparity in screening attendance between Hungarian-speaking Roma (R) and non-Roma (nR) women in Hungary (HU-R:322; nR:294), Romania (RO-R:258; nR:183), and Slovakia (SK-R:146; nR:163), while also identifying the factors that influence attendance at any kind of screening tests in both populations. In order to examine these factors, a multiple binary logistic regression was conducted. The findings revealed significant associations between attendance at any kind of screening tests and certain factors among different groups. Among Hungarian Roma women, it was found that having a chronic disease and smoking were linked to attendance at any kind of screening tests (p = 0.009). Specifically, having a chronic disease increased the odds of attendance (OR = 1.71 [1.01, 2.90]), while smoking decreased the odds (OR = 0.57[0.365, 0.91]). In Romania, the study found that not having health insurance decreased the odds of attendance among Roma women (OR = 0.50 [0.27, 0.91]), whereas having a chronic disease increased the odds (OR = 2.87 [1.44, 5.72]) (p = 0.006). Among non-Roma women in Romania, physical inactivity was associated with a decreased likelihood of attendance at any kind of screening tests (OR = 0.48 [0.25, 0.95]). Among Slovakian Roma women, not having health insurance (OR = 0.09[0.02, 0.36]) and smoking (OR = 0.25[0.11, 0.61]) were found to decrease the odds of attendance (p < 0.001). On the other hand, non-Roma women in Slovakia with chronic diseases were more likely to attend at any kind of screening tests (OR = 2.52[1.12, 5.66]). Our research emphasizes the impact of lacking health insurance on screening attendance, particularly among the Roma population. It also highlights the significance of health-related behaviours such as smoking and physical inactivity in relation to missed screening tests, which in turn contribute to the development of non-communicable diseases. Therefore, promoting targeted screening programs for the Roma community is crucial to ensure their access to screening tests, especially in cases of chronic illnesses.

show abstract

Low prevalence of spectacle use in the Hungarian Roma population indicates unmet health needs

Cited by 5 publications

References 38 publications

Screening for Patients with Visual Acuity Loss in Primary Health Care: A Cross Sectional Study in a Deprived Hungarian Population

Screening for Patients with Visual Acuity Loss in Primary Health Care: A Cross Sectional Study in a Deprived Hungarian Population

Development and evaluation of an intervention to promote the use of eyeglasses among Romani families in Bulgaria

Screening attendance disparities among Hungarian-speaking Roma and non-Roma women in central and eastern European countries

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About