title: Refugees in Denver and their perceptions of their health and health care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorado receives approximately 2,500 refugees each year from countries all over the world. We assessed the self-perceived health of and barriers to care for refugees in the Denver metro area in order to understand better the needs of this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 61-item questionnaire was completed by a convenience sample of 120 local refugees between June and December of 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 10% of respondents reported their health as excellent, while 31% rated it as either poor or fair. The most prominent barriers to care included unemployment (91%), language (46%), lack of health insurance (41%), lack of transportation (43%), and distrust of doctors (22%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that refugees in Denver face significant barriers that affect their access to health care. Recommendations include improved job and language skill programs, a health navigator program, and health care provider training on culturally effective care of this population.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Elwell
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Junker
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Sillau
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Aagaard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003120:Colorado; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult