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[Insufficient participation in prevention programs for infants by Turkish, Moroccan, Chinese and Vietnamese parents
R A Hirasing1, G H Verrips, R J Burgmeijer
1TNO Preventie en Gezondheid, divisie Collectieve Preventie, Leiden.
Insights
Participation in essential infant prevention programs was low among Turkish, Moroccan, Chinese, and Vietnamese families in the Netherlands. Health workers must prioritize establishing engagement in these vital public health initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Effective prevention programs are crucial for infant health and development.
- Minority ethnic groups, including Turkish, Moroccan, Chinese, and Vietnamese populations in the Netherlands, may face barriers to accessing healthcare and preventive services.
- Understanding participation rates in vaccination and vitamin supplementation is key to identifying disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the participation rates of infants from Turkish, Moroccan, Chinese, and Vietnamese backgrounds in key prevention programs.
- To evaluate the uptake of vitamin A(D) and K supplementation and vaccinations (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis [DKTP] and BCG).
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted in health centers across four major Dutch cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht.
- Health center staff interviewed 194 Turkish, 158 Moroccan, 44 Chinese, and 75 Vietnamese parents using structured questionnaires in their native languages.
- Data collected included infant feeding practices, vitamin use (A, D, K), and vaccination status for DKTP and BCG.
Main Results:
- Bottle feeding was prevalent across all groups, particularly among Chinese infants (71%).
- Vitamin A(D) supplementation was high (82%), but vitamin K use varied, with Turkish infants receiving it most often (65% of breast-fed).
- DKTP vaccination rates were comparable to Dutch children for Turkish, Vietnamese, and Chinese infants, but lower for Moroccan infants (1 in 5 unvaccinated). BCG vaccination rates were suboptimal for Turkish (55%) and Moroccan (42%) infants.
Conclusions:
- Participation in essential infant prevention programs was insufficient among the studied ethnic minority groups.
- Health workers should proactively assess and promote participation in prevention programs during all contacts with these families.
- Further research into developing culturally appropriate educational materials is recommended to improve engagement.
Objective:
To establish the participation in a number of effective prevention programmes for infants of Turkish, Maroccan, Chinese and Vietnamese inhabitants of the four major cities in the Netherlands.
Design:
Enquiry.
Setting:
Health centres in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.
Method:
Health centre staff members in 1994 asked 194 Turkish and 158 Maroccan parents to participate in the study: the responses were 142 (73%) and 104 (66%), respectively. With the aid of Chinese and Vietnamese female interpreters, 44 parents of Chinese and 75 of Vietnamese infants were persuaded to participate. Previously instructed interviewers presented the parents of all children with a number of structured questions in their own languages regarding use of vitamins (A)D and K and about vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and poliomyelitis (DKTP) and with BCG vaccine.
Results:
Bottle feeding alone was given to 18% of the Turkish, 43% of the Maroccan, 71% of the Chinese and 51% of the Vietnamese children. 82% Of the children were given vitamin A(D), the Maroccan children the most and the Vietnamese children the least often. Of the breast-fed children, 65% were given vitamin K, the Turkish children the most often. The DKTP vaccination degrees (1st, 2nd and 3rd vaccination) of the Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese children was in accordance with those of Dutch children, but of the Maroccan children, one in five had not been vaccinated according to the parents. The BCG vaccination degrees were too low among the Turkish (55%) and the Maroccan (42%) children. Of the mothers, 27% reported having been vaccinated against rubella; 2% had vaccination certificates.
Conclusion:
Participation of the four groups of allochtonous children in the effective prevention programmes investigated was insufficient. At contacts of health workers with these groups, participation in prevention programmes should always be established. Support by means of educative material to be developed specifically should be made a subject of research.