Establishment of the health related behaviours of asylum seekers in the Health Service Executive West area

Abstract

In 1999, the Irish government initiated accommodating asylum seekers m direct provision centres with the objective to process applications within a six-month period. However, the majority o f asylum applications are not processed within this timeframe The consequences of which are that asylum seekers reside m direct provision centres, some of which are overcrowded and unsuitable, for an undefined penod Generally in the first few years of this new century, there was an accelerated growth in the number of applications for asylum m Ireland; however, recent years have shown a down turn m the number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland, this down v. turn has instigated a trend repeated across the European Union These new arrivals can often present diverse challenges for the host society m terms of their unique needs, however m order for these needs to be met, a comprehensive analysis must first be undertaken to highlight them This study explores the health behaviours of asylum seekers in the north west of Ireland, and is the result of extensive consultation with asylum seekers. The study population consisted of asylum seekers who are resident in the Health Service Executive west and north west. 242 asylum seekers participated m the study, comprising of both male and female participants ranging in age from 18-59 years A number of health related factors were measured through the use of a questionnaire, which was made available in both English and French. The questionnaire was used to investigate the participant’s health and health behaviours in relation to use of tobacco, alcohol consumption, physical activity Usage of Irish health services was also examined The results highlight a number of concerns with regard to the health of the research participants, generally physical activity levels are quite low and diets high in fat are common. On a positive note, breastfeeding rates among the asylum seeking population were high m comparison to the Irish population