| dc.description.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 | en |
