IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i21p11559-d671527.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Eritrean Refugees’ and Asylum-Seekers’ Attitude towards and Access to Oral Healthcare in Heidelberg, Germany: A Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Yonas Semere Kidane

    (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Sandra Ziegler

    (Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, Section Health Equity Studies & Migration, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Verena Keck

    (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Janine Benson-Martin

    (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
    Gesundheitsamt Enzkreis, The Public Health Office Enzkreis, 75177 Pforzheim, Germany)

  • Albrecht Jahn

    (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Temesghen Gebresilassie

    (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Claudia Beiersmann

    (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

Abstract

Oral health concerns in Eritrean refugees have been an overlooked subject. This qualitative study explored the access of Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers (ERNRAS) to oral health care services in Heidelberg, Germany, as well as their perceptions and attitudes towards oral health care. It involved 25 participants. We employed online semi-structured interviews ( n = 15) and focus group discussions ( n = 2). The data was recorded, transcribed, and analysed, using thematic analysis. The study found out that most of the participants have a relatively realistic perception and understanding of oral health. However, they have poor dental care practices, whilst a few have certain misconceptions of the conventional oral hygiene tools. Along with the majority’s concerns regarding psychosocial attributes of poor oral health, some participants are routinely consuming Berbere (a traditional spice-blended pepper) to prevent bad breath. Structural or supply-side barriers to oral healthcare services included: communication hurdles; difficulty in identifying and navigating the German health system; gaps in transculturally, professionally, and communicationally competent oral health professionals; cost of dental treatment; entitlement issues (asylum-seekers); and appointment mechanisms. Individual or demand-side barriers comprised: lack of self-sufficiency; issue related to dental care beliefs, trust, and expectation from dentists; negligence and lack of adherence to dental treatment follow-up; and fear or apprehension of dental treatment. To address the oral health burdens of ERNRAS, it is advised to consider oral health education, language-specific, inclusive, and culturally and professionally appropriate healthcare services.

Suggested Citation

  • Yonas Semere Kidane & Sandra Ziegler & Verena Keck & Janine Benson-Martin & Albrecht Jahn & Temesghen Gebresilassie & Claudia Beiersmann, 2021. "Eritrean Refugees’ and Asylum-Seekers’ Attitude towards and Access to Oral Healthcare in Heidelberg, Germany: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11559-:d:671527
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11559/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11559/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Singh, H.K. & Scott, T.E. & Henshaw, M.M. & Cote, S.E. & Grodin, M.A. & Piwowarczyk, L.A., 2008. "Oral health status of refugee torture survivors seeking care in the United States," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(12), pages 2181-2182.
    2. Kohlenberger, Judith & Buber-Ennser, Isabella & Rengs, Bernhard & Leitner, Sebastian & Landesmann, Michael, 2019. "Barriers to health care access and service utilization of refugees in Austria: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(9), pages 833-839.
    3. Kayvan Bozorgmehr & Oliver Razum, 2015. "Effect of Restricting Access to Health Care on Health Expenditures among Asylum-Seekers and Refugees: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Germany, 1994–2013," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
    4. Geltman, P.L. & Adams, J.H. & Cochran, J. & Doros, G. & Rybin, D. & Henshaw, M. & Barnes, L.L. & Paasche-Orlow, M., 2013. "The impact of functional health literacy and acculturation on the oral health status of somali refugees living in Massachusetts," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(8), pages 1516-1523.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Murad Alrashdi & Maria Jose Cervantes Mendez & Moshtagh R. Farokhi, 2021. "A Randomized Clinical Trial Preventive Outreach Targeting Dental Caries and Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life for Refugee Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-10, February.
    2. Saleh Aljadeeah & Veronika J. Wirtz & Eckhard Nagel, 2021. "Barriers to Accessing Medicines among Syrian Asylum Seekers and Refugees in a German Federal State," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Dorina Lauritano & Giulia Moreo & Francesco Carinci & Vincenzo Campanella & Fedora Della Vella & Massimo Petruzzi, 2021. "Oral Health Status among Migrants from Middle- and Low-Income Countries to Europe: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-37, November.
    4. Leonardo Mammana & Chiara Milani & Paola Bordin & Lorenzo Paglione & Chiara Salvia, 2020. "Health System Response during the European Refugee Crisis: Policy and Practice Analysis in Four Italian Regions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-22, July.
    5. Qingjun Zhao & Meijing Song & Hanrui Wang, 2022. "Voting with Your Feet: The Impact of Urban Public Health Service Accessibility on the Permanent Migration Intentions of Rural Migrants in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-20, November.
    6. Woranan Witthayapipopsakul & Hathairat Kosiyaporn & Sonvanee Uansri & Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, 2022. "Effect of the Promulgation of the New Migrant’s Employment Law on Migrant Insurance Coverage in Thailand: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis, 2016–2018," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-12, April.
    7. Stefan Jestl & Michael Landesmann & Sebastian Leitner & Sandra M. Leitner & Isilda Mara & Maryna Tverdostup, 2023. "wiiw Studies on the Integration of Middle Eastern Refugees in Austria, Based on FIMAS Surveys and Register-based Labour Market Career Data," wiiw Policy Notes 74, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    8. Yves Jackson & Adeline Paignon & Hans Wolff & Noelia Delicado, 2018. "Health of undocumented migrants in primary care in Switzerland," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(7), pages 1-13, July.
    9. Theodorou Andreas & Koufioti Georgia & EKounios Athanasios & Dr. Vlachadi Maria, 2023. "A Study of the Factors Affecting Dental Community Health in a Multicultural Immigrant Educational Environment. A Systematic Review of the Recent Scientific Articles," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(4), pages 278-297, April.
    10. Gottlieb, Nora & Schülle, Mirjam, 2021. "An overview of health policies for asylum-seekers in Germany," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 115-121.
    11. Bibhuti K. Sar, 2023. "Refugee Family Health Brokers’ (FHBs’) Experiences with Health Care Providers: A Thematic Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-14, April.
    12. Kohlenberger, Judith & Buber-Ennser, Isabella & Rengs, Bernhard & Leitner, Sebastian & Landesmann, Michael, 2019. "Barriers to health care access and service utilization of refugees in Austria: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(9), pages 833-839.
    13. Nielsen, Maj Rørdam & Jervelund, Signe Smith, 2023. "Impacts of an interpretation fee on immigrants’ access to healthcare: Evidence from a Danish survey study among newly arrived immigrants," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    14. Ruedin, Didier, 2025. "Ukrainian Refugees in Switzerland: A research synthesis of what we know," EconStor Preprints 308844, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    15. Ulrich Trohl & Karoline Wagner & Vivian Kalfa & Sarah Negash & Andreas Wienke & Amand Führer, 2021. "Sick and Tired—Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Characteristics of Asylum Seekers Awaiting an Appointment for Psychotherapy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-15, November.
    16. Ferdinand Garoff & Natalia Skogberg & Antti Klemettilä & Eero Lilja & Awa Ahmed Haji Omar & Olli Snellman & Anu E. Castaneda, 2021. "Mental Health and Traumatization of Newly Arrived Asylum Seeker Adults in Finland: A Population-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-12, July.
    17. Kevin Claassen & Pia Jäger, 2018. "Impact of the Introduction of the Electronic Health Insurance Card on the Use of Medical Services by Asylum Seekers in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-11, April.
    18. Clara Albrecht & Maria Hofbauer Pérez & Tanja Stitteneder, 2021. "Migrationsmonitor: Die Bedeutung geschlechtsspezifischer Ansätze für die Integration von weiblichen Geflüchteten," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 74(04), pages 63-69, April.
    19. Francis Bakewell & Sarah Addleman & Garth Dickinson & Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy, 2018. "Use of the emergency department by refugees under the Interim Federal Health Program: A health records review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-8, May.
    20. Christine Happle & Christian Dopfer & Diana Ernst & Evelyn Kleinert & Annabelle Vakilzadeh & Susanne Hellms & Iro Evlampidou & Nele Hillermann & Reinhold E. Schmidt & Georg M. N. Behrens & Frank Mülle, 2019. "Pediatric Healthcare Utilization in a Large Cohort of Refugee Children Entering Western Europe During the Migrant Crisis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-11, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11559-:d:671527. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.