TITLE:
Sociodemographic Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life and Healthcare Service Utilisation among Young Refugees in South Australia
AUTHORS:
Tahereh Ziaian, Helena de Anstiss, Georgia Antoniou, Teresa Puvimanasinghe, Peter Baghurst
KEYWORDS:
Refugees, Adolescents, Children, Quality of Life, PedsQL, Healthcare Service Utilisation, Australia
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.6 No.1,
December
25,
2015
ABSTRACT: Although refugee
adolescents and children are recognised as a health risk population, few
studies have explored their Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL). The present
study investigated 1) the sociodemographic predictors of HRQOL such as
ethnicity, trauma exposure, and length of residency in Australia in a
multiethnic paediatric population with refugee experiences and 2) the
relationship between mental healthcare utilisation and HRQOL. Method:
Participants were 458 adolescents and children, aged 4 - 17 years, living in
South Australia. Parents provided data across the sample and adolescents also
completed questionnaires. Overall HRQOL and its composite functional dimensions
were assessed using the Paediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) instrument.
Questions from the Child and Adolescent Component of the Australian National
Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing were used to assess service utilisation.
Results: Migration region/ethnicity predicted better HRQOL as well as physical,
emotional and psychosocial functioning for both children and adolescents.
African youths indicated higher HRQOL than those from the former Yugoslavia and
the Middle East/South Asia respectively. Pre-migration trauma exposure was
associated with lower HRQOL; and longer stay in Australia was related to lower
emotional functioning in children. There was a negative association between
healthcare service utilisation and PedsQL scores, with participants accessing
services demonstrating lower HRQOL. Conclusion: Using more rigorous methods,
future research is needed to investigate additional sociodemographic predictors
of HRQOL, and protective/risk factors that impact on HRQOL of young refugees.