title: Social exclusion as a determining health factor of the Roma population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poverty, social inequality and marginalization of certain population groups cause the exclusion of these groups from the society and the benefits provided by the social relations of the community.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of social exclusion of the Roma population in the local community and to determine how this exclusion affects the health status of the population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Included-survey, medical examination and laboratory testing of full blood, blood glucose and markers of hepatitis B on 612 Roma. The data obtained are compared to those of the general population of the local community.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The social exclusion of the Roma population in the local community causes its significantly worse health status. Infectious diseases caused by poor hygienic conditions in Roma settlements and chronic diseases caused by stress, inadequate nutrition and poor housing conditions occur 5-20 times more frequently than in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health of Zenica-Doboj Canton, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. sivic01@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Suad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivic
authors.forename: Adin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huremovic
authors.forename: Haris
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Djerzic
mesh_terms: D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity; D006178:Romani People; D012934:Social Isolation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors