Researchers Review Health and Health-Related Beliefs of Gypsies and Travellers in England

19 June 2007

Two articles published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health in late 2006 outline the findings of a group of researchers who examined the health status of the Gypsy and Traveller community in England. The sample group of 293 participants, all Gypsies and Travellers of UK or Irish origin, were for comparative purposes matched with non-Gypsy subjects from a range of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

The study found that members of the Gypsy and Traveller groups suffered from poor health and long-term illnesses, or disabilities, which "limit their daily activities" more so than other groups. In light of their findings, the researchers manifested their expectation of an ethnically sensitive policy response addressing the health-related needs of the Gypsy and Traveller minority. The authors stressed that a "multi-agency awareness" and collaborative effort is necessary to improve the health of the group as a whole.

A parallel study also explored the health-related beliefs of the Gypsy and Traveller community through the analysis of 27 interviews. The researchers discovered that an overwhelming amount of the interviewees shared low expectations for their own health. They also shared a fatalistic, but fearful attitude towards death. They especially feared a diagnosis of cancer. Researchers proposed that a combination of "lack of knowledge, low expectations, and fear" caused members of the Gypsy and Traveller communities to avoid medical treatment, making early, life-saving diagnosis less likely.

(Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health)