The Roma Population Living in Segregated Settlements in Eastern Slovakia Has a Higher Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome, Kidney Disease, Viral Hepatitis B and E, and Some Parasitic Diseases Compared to the Majority Population

Zelmira Macejova, Pavol Kristian, Martin Janicko, Monika Halanova, Sylvia Drazilova, Daniela Antolova, Maria Marekova, Daniel Pella, Andrea Madarasova-Geckova, Peter Jarcuska and HepaMeta Team
Additional contact information
Zelmira Macejova: 1st Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University and Louis Pasteur University Hospital, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Pavol Kristian: Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University and Louis Pasteur University Hospital, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Martin Janicko: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University and Louis Pasteur University Hospital, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Monika Halanova: Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Sylvia Drazilova: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Poprad and Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 058 01 Poprad, Slovakia
Daniela Antolova: Department of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Parasitology SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Maria Marekova: Department of Medical and Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Daniel Pella: 2nd Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University and East Slovak, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Andrea Madarasova-Geckova: Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Peter Jarcuska: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Safarik University and Louis Pasteur University Hospital, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
HepaMeta Team: HepaMeta Team members are listed in Appendix A .

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Background : The Roma population is one of the largest marginalized population groups in Europe. The aim of our work was to summarize the morbidity of lifestyle-related diseases and infectious diseases in the Roma population living in segregated settlements. Methods : We used data from the cross-sectional study HepaMeta, in which we examined 452 Roma subjects with an average age of 34.7 ± 9.1 years, 35.2% of which were men, and 403 non-Roma subjects with an average age of 33.5 ± 7.4 years, 45.9% of which were men. We collected data by means of a questionnaire, anthropometric measures, and we analyzed blood and urine samples. Results : Roma subjects had a higher incidence of metabolic syndrome (RR: 1.478 (1.159–1.885), p < 0.0001), obesity or waist circumference >94 cm in men/80 cm in women (RR: 1.287 (1.127–1.470), p < 0.0001), and HDL-C < 1.03 mmol/L in men or <1.29 in women (RR: 2.004 (1.730–2.321), p < 0.0001) than their non-Roma counterparts. Subjects of the Roma population were more frequently diagnosed with kidney disease (RR: 1.216 (1.096–1.349), p < 0.0001), HBsAg positivity (RR: 4.468 (2.373–8.415), p < 0.0001), anti HBc IgG positivity (RR: 3.13 (2.598–4.224), p < 0.0001), and anti HEV positivity (RR: 2.972 (1.226–7.287), p < 0.0001). Serological markers of Toxoplasma gondii infection and Toxocara spp. were observed much more frequently among Roma than non-Roma subjects (RR: 1.868 (1.520–2.296), p < 0.0001, for Toxoplasma gondii ; and RR: 21.812 (8.097–58.761), p < 0.0001, for Toxocara spp.). Conclusions : Poor socio-economic conditions, an unhealthy lifestyle, and barriers precluding access to healthcare are factors that affect the Roma population in settlements and lead to an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components, kidney disease, viral hepatitis B and E, and some parasitic diseases.

Keywords: Roma population; metabolic syndrome; hepatitis B; hepatitis E; Trichinella spp.; Toxocara spp. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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