Necesidades en salud de los inmigrantes de europa del estehacia un modelo comunitario de educación en salud

Resumo

Health needs of immigrants from East Europe: towards a community based health education model This paper presents the preliminary results of the MEET project (Meeting the health literacy needs of immigrant population) funded by the European Commission with the Life Long Learning Programme (ref: 540139-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-GRUNDTVIG-GMP) and implemented by a group of experts from five European countries (Italy, UK, Austria, Cyprus, and Spain). The aim of the project is to apply an innovative community model of health literacy (Community-based Health Education – CHE) that involves health professionals and members of immigrant community in order to empower them in health competences and about the health care services. During the first phase of the MEET project, partners developed an analysis of the immigrants’ health needs and selected the community to address the intervention. The selected group for Spain was immigrants from East Europe. For the needs assessment, a deep bibliography review has been developed in relation to this group in the area of health. Moreover, a qualitative methodology was implemented based on focus groups and interviews with qualified professionals from the social and health systems. The field work was carried in the city of Xàtiva, where the whole project was implemented because the high presence of Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants. On the basis of this study, this paper presents the health needs of immigrants from East Europe. Also the difficulties in the health promotion and the high presence of smoking and alcohol consume is stressed. In this framework the second phase of the MEET project is dedicated to the health literacy involving health professionals and immigrants from the group mentioned.