Pediatric Healthcare Utilization in a Large Cohort of Refugee Children Entering Western Europe During the Migrant Crisis

Christine Happle, Christian Dopfer, Diana Ernst, Evelyn Kleinert, Annabelle Vakilzadeh, Susanne Hellms, Iro Evlampidou, Nele Hillermann, Reinhold E. Schmidt, Georg M. N. Behrens, Frank Müller, Martin Wetzke and Alexandra Jablonka
Additional contact information
Christine Happle: Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Christian Dopfer: Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Diana Ernst: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Evelyn Kleinert: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Annabelle Vakilzadeh: Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Susanne Hellms: Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Iro Evlampidou: MediPIET, 5 Madrid, Spain
Nele Hillermann: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Reinhold E. Schmidt: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Georg M. N. Behrens: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Frank Müller: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Martin Wetzke: Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Alexandra Jablonka: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Currently, half of the population displaced worldwide is children and adolescents. Little is known on healthcare demand in underage migrants. Materials and Methods: We analyzed healthcare utilization in n = 1.411 children and adolescents living in a large German refugee reception in 2015-2016. Results: The mean age of all included refugees was 9 years (60.8% male). The majority came from the eastern Mediterranean region. During a mean camp inhabitance of 34 days, 57.6% needed primary healthcare, with a significant inverse correlation of healthcare seeking frequency with age and duration of camp inhabitance. Infants and unaccompanied minors displayed particular high demands for medical help. Discussion: Our analysis showed that pediatric primary healthcare in pediatric and adolescent refugees are most sought during the first period upon arrival with particular demand in infants, toddlers, and unaccompanied minors. Based on this data, future care taking strategies should be adapted accordingly.

Keywords: children; pediatrics; healthcare; migration; refugee; primary care; adolescents; migrant; health care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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