Abstract
ObjectivesThe objectives of the study were to explore the distributions of comprehensive health literacy (CHL), general health, psychological well-being, and having refrained from seeking healthcare among refugees in Sweden. Further objectives were to examine associations between CHL and the above-mentioned factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 513 refugees speaking Arabic, Dari, and Somali. Participants in the civic orientation course in Sweden responded to a questionnaire. CHL was measured using the HLS-EU-Q16 questionnaire. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate potential associations.ResultsThe majority of the respondents had limited CHL, and about four of ten had reported poor health and/or having refrained from seeking healthcare. Limited CHL was associated with having reported poor health and having refrained from seeking healthcare.ConclusionsA considerable proportion of the refugees in Sweden have limited CHL, and report less than good health and impaired well-being, or that they have refrained from seeking healthcare. Furthermore, CHL is associated with the above-mentioned factors. Efforts are needed to promote refugees’ CHL, optimal health-seeking behavior, and health.
Highlights
There were about 24.5 million asylum seekers and refugees worldwide in 2015, most coming from Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia (UNHCR 2015)
Objectives The objectives of the study were to explore the distributions of comprehensive health literacy (CHL), general health, psychological well-being, and having refrained from seeking healthcare among refugees in Sweden
A considerable proportion of the refugees in Sweden have limited CHL, and report less than good health and impaired well-being, or that they have refrained from seeking healthcare
Summary
There were about 24.5 million asylum seekers and refugees worldwide in 2015, most coming from Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia (UNHCR 2015). The third largest recipient country of individual applications for asylum the same year was Sweden. Many refugees have poor self-perceived general health (Lecerof et al 2017; Nielsen and Krasnik 2010) and psychological well-being (Lecerof et al 2017; Tinghog et al.2016; Yaser et al 2016), and refugees’ health status often deteriorates over time (Thomas 2016). Many refugees refrain from seeking healthcare and from participating in health promoting and disease preventing activities (Ingleby 2012; Lecerof et al 2017). Migrants’ limited HL and a failure of the organizations providing health information to meet this limitation (Gele et al 2016; Kimbrough Benneth 2007) could, be of importance for refugees’ health and healthcare utilization
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