Page 102 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 102
avje otrok in mladostnikov | health of children and adolescents 102 regarding the hygiene and improved living standards. A major problem
is unhealthy lifestyle, especially smoking of pregnant women, smoking
indoors near children, and poor nutrition of both mothers and children.
Some major issues are also their reluctance to follow the advice received
when visiting a gynaecological dispensary and occasional negative
experiences with communication styles and feelings of discrimination.
Key words: Roma women, reproductive health, awareness, intervention
study, education
Introduction
Roma women live mostly in communities defined by ethnicity. Their health
culture is specific, but it is changing under the influence of the culture of the
majority population and modern media. They need special attention when
maintaining their reproductive health, whereby their own health awareness
of extreme importance (Logar, 2016). This is not self-evident, it is influenced
by self-initiative, education, community attitudes within the Roma population
and the majority population (Zelko, 2015). It is precisely in these environments
that Roma face discrimination both in this country and in Europe: in the fam-
ily on the basis of gender, in the wider environment on the basis of ethnicity
(Kymlicka, 2017). In the results of her research, Čvorović (2019) states that tra-�
ditional Roma marriage can have a protective effect on the reproductive and
general health of Roma women. However, other factors such as poor litera-
cy, socio-economic conditions, violence and exclusion have a negative impact
(Logar, 2016; Kymlicka, 2017; LeMasters et al., 2019).
In the last decade, many initiatives have been implemented in Slovenia
to take care of the reproductive health of Roma women. Increasing health lit-
eracy, empowerment in the use of health services (Rodrigues Derecho, 2013),
knowledge regarding reproductive health, the importance of gynaecological
examinations, adequate motivation with approaches appropriate for Roma cul-
ture, health promotion programs - all of the above has led to greater awareness
of reproductive health (Second national conference on the health of the Roma
population, 2009; Rodrigues Derecho, 2013). The consultation “Roma women”
(2015) also indicated a distinct need to include Roma women in the discourse
on their situation and the need for greater care for sexual and reproductive
health.
Health education can have a significant impact on the improvement of
health of individuals and communities. It is a combination of learning experi-
ences through which people acquire knowledge, which in turn affects the im-
provement of the health of an individual or a community. It is important to
take into account the profession and cultural messages from the environment
where educational work takes place (Zaletel Kragelj et al., 2007).
With the help of health and educational measures and interventions, cer-
tain habits and behaviours can be changed in favour of the individual’s care for
is unhealthy lifestyle, especially smoking of pregnant women, smoking
indoors near children, and poor nutrition of both mothers and children.
Some major issues are also their reluctance to follow the advice received
when visiting a gynaecological dispensary and occasional negative
experiences with communication styles and feelings of discrimination.
Key words: Roma women, reproductive health, awareness, intervention
study, education
Introduction
Roma women live mostly in communities defined by ethnicity. Their health
culture is specific, but it is changing under the influence of the culture of the
majority population and modern media. They need special attention when
maintaining their reproductive health, whereby their own health awareness
of extreme importance (Logar, 2016). This is not self-evident, it is influenced
by self-initiative, education, community attitudes within the Roma population
and the majority population (Zelko, 2015). It is precisely in these environments
that Roma face discrimination both in this country and in Europe: in the fam-
ily on the basis of gender, in the wider environment on the basis of ethnicity
(Kymlicka, 2017). In the results of her research, Čvorović (2019) states that tra-�
ditional Roma marriage can have a protective effect on the reproductive and
general health of Roma women. However, other factors such as poor litera-
cy, socio-economic conditions, violence and exclusion have a negative impact
(Logar, 2016; Kymlicka, 2017; LeMasters et al., 2019).
In the last decade, many initiatives have been implemented in Slovenia
to take care of the reproductive health of Roma women. Increasing health lit-
eracy, empowerment in the use of health services (Rodrigues Derecho, 2013),
knowledge regarding reproductive health, the importance of gynaecological
examinations, adequate motivation with approaches appropriate for Roma cul-
ture, health promotion programs - all of the above has led to greater awareness
of reproductive health (Second national conference on the health of the Roma
population, 2009; Rodrigues Derecho, 2013). The consultation “Roma women”
(2015) also indicated a distinct need to include Roma women in the discourse
on their situation and the need for greater care for sexual and reproductive
health.
Health education can have a significant impact on the improvement of
health of individuals and communities. It is a combination of learning experi-
ences through which people acquire knowledge, which in turn affects the im-
provement of the health of an individual or a community. It is important to
take into account the profession and cultural messages from the environment
where educational work takes place (Zaletel Kragelj et al., 2007).
With the help of health and educational measures and interventions, cer-
tain habits and behaviours can be changed in favour of the individual’s care for
