title: Quality of Life and Patient Satisfaction with Family Practice Care in a Roma Population with Chronic Conditions in Northeast Slovenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures a patient's subjective experience of his or her health status. We aimed to show how the presence of chronic diseases and satisfaction with family physicians (FPs) were associated with the HRQoL of a Roma population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out in May 2011 on a representative sample of 650 Roma living in Prekmurje, Slovenia. The EQ-5D questionnaire was used for measuring the HRQoL of the Roma. Demographical data, 12 groups of diseases diagnosed in the last 12 months and satisfaction with FPs were included in the questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 88.3% 574), of which 56.4% were female, and the average age of the participants had a mean value of 40.2±12.7 years. The presence of cardiovascular problems with risk factors for them or presence of musculoskeletal disorders were strongly associated with the presence of pain (Cramer's V = 0.40 and 0.46 respectively). There was a strong association between the presence of mental disorders and anxiety and depression (Cramer's V = 0.58). The average satisfaction with the family physician was 3.9 (mean±1.10) on a five-point Likert scale. There was no significant association between HRQoL and satisfaction with the family physician.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Roma with chronic mental health problems had the lowest HRQoL in the Roma population. More attention should be paid to this subgroup of Roma in family medicine, and interventions should be provided. High satisfaction with their FPs is not associated with the observed quality of life variables.
authors.affiliation: University of Maribor, Medical Faculty, Taborska 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zelko
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Department of Family Medicine, Poljanski nasip 58, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Švab
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Department of Family Medicine, Poljanski nasip 58, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Danica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rotar Pavlič
keywords: Roma; chronic diseases; mental health; patient satisfaction; quality of life