Our new article “Early Childhood in Marginalized Roma Communities: Health Risks and Health Outcomes was published in International Journal of Public Health.

Article was prepared as a part of RomaReach study with aim to compare selected early childhood health risks and health outcomes of children from marginalized Roma communities (MRCs) in Slovakia with those of the majority.

Poverty and unhealthy living conditions of children from MRCs included in our study are fundamentally worse compared to children from the majority. The health and healthy development of children living in overcrowded households without running water is threatened by many factors such as poor sanitary conditions, quality of air or food insecurity. Parents experiencing financial hardship struggle to provide their children with clothing and regular food intake of adequate quality. Children experience various health complaints, use antibiotics more often and are hospitalized more often than children from the majority. Ensuring equal chances for health and healthy development for children from MRCs will require a concentrated effort, therefore these persistent differences in exposures and health in early childhood should be a priority goal of the state’s social and health policies.

Full article is available here: https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606784/full