[Migrants in family practice: their symptoms and diagnoses differ from the Dutch].
OBJECTIVE
To determine to what extent Turks, Moroccans and Surinamese differ from the Dutch in health problems, while taking the impact of relevant background characteristics into account.


METHODS
Secondary analysis.


METHODS
Dutch Institute for health care research, Utrecht, the Netherlands.


METHODS
In 1987/'88, 161 general practitioners and their assistants in 103 general practices recorded all patient contacts during three months in four consecutive periods for the Dutch National Survey on Morbidity and Interventions in General Practice. Data on 1165 Turkish, 853 Moroccan, 1355 Surinamese and 1471 Dutch persons (a 1% sample) between 18 and 65 years of age were used. Differences in health problems (complaints and diagnoses) between groups were tested by means of logistic regression analysis. Sex, age, educational level, working situation, marital status, health insurance, region and urbanisation were included in the analyses as covariates, for which the data were corrected.


RESULTS
The pattern of complaints and diagnoses of ethnic minorities agreed with that of the Dutch in many respects, but there were also clear differences. Surinamese differed the most. Digestive problems, acute and chronic, eye problems, acute musculoskeletal problems, especially muscle pain or fibrositis, respiratory infections and eczema occurred more often in all three minority groups. Surinamese had more diagnoses in the categories of blood and endocrine/metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus), Moroccanshad fewer diagnoses of the circulatory system (hypertension). Turks and Surinamese had more general and social problems, while Surinamese also had more psychological problems.


CONCLUSIONS
In some areas ethnic minorities have more health problems than Dutch patients who are comparable with them in background characteristics. This clearly suggests an 'ethnic' factor.
Weide
M G
MG
Nederlands instituut voor onderzoek van de gezondheidszorg (NIVEL), Utrecht.
Foets
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000208:ethnology*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D009426:Netherlands; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013532:Suriname / Q000208:ethnology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology
Migranten in de huisartspraktijk: andere klachten en diagnosen dan Nederlanders.