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Introduction: In the Netherlands, as in other Western countries, ethnic minority elderly are more often in poorer health than the indigenous population. The expectation is that this health disadvantage results in more frequent use of health care services., Methods: We studied registered data on the proportion of health care receivers, frequency of use, and health care costs collected by a major Dutch health insurance company in 2010. Data from 10,316 Turkish, 14,490 Moroccan, 8,619 Surinamese, and 1,064 Moluccan adults aged 55 years and older were compared with data from a sample of 33,725 ethnic Dutch older adults., Results: Unadjusted and adjusted (for age and gender) analyses showed the following. Moluccans had lower usage levels for all types of health care services. Use of primary health care facilities was higher for Turks, Moroccans, and Surinamese compared with the ethnic Dutch, with the exception that physical therapy was less frequently used among the Turks and Moroccans. Use of hospital care was lower, except for the Surinamese, who had a similar level of usage to that of the ethnic Dutch., Conclusions: The health disadvantage previously observed within most ethnic minority elderly populations does not result in an overall more frequent use of health care services. Further research is needed for the interpretation of the ethnic variations in health care use as potentially inequitable, by taking medical need, patient treatment preferences, and treatment adherence into account.

Background: Data on how different groups of elderly immigrants perceive health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is scarce and research on the influence of ethnicity on HRQOL across ethnic groups is missing. Measuring HRQOL may help to detect cross-cultural differences and to decide whether ethnic-specific health and prevention programmes are required to improve HRQOL. We investigated differences in HRQOL among three elderly immigrant populations with a special focus on the contribution of ethnicity, in addition to other well-known determinants, to HRQOL., Methods: Data were collected between October 2011 and July 2012 as part of the project entitled "Stem van de oudere migrant", a quasi-experimental study in the Netherlands focussing on health of immigrant elderly. A survey was conducted among 201 elderly (aged 55 years and older) Moroccans (98), Turks (69), and Moluccans (34). HRQOL was assessed using the SF-12, measuring physical and mental health composite scores (PCS resp. MCS). Chi-square tests and ANOVAs were performed for group comparison. Hierarchical multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine whether ethnicity uniquely contributed to the observed variance in HRQOL when multimorbidity, loneliness, socio-demographics, and acculturation were taken into account., Results: Moroccans had the lowest scores on PCS (34.3 ± 31.4) and MCS (42.1 ± 27.0), followed by Turks (45.7 ± 27.0 for PCS and 54.7 ± 22.2 for MCS), and Moluccans (71.7 ± 21.2 for PCS and 74.4 ± 22.1 for MCS). Ethnicity was not independently associated with PCS and MCS scores, in contrast to loneliness (PCS β -0.461, p < 0.001 and MCS β -0.435, p < 0.001) and multimorbidity (PCS β -0.380, p < 0.001 and MCS β -0.398, p < 0.001). Gender was independently associated with PCS (β 0.148, p = 0.026) and attachment to Dutch culture with MCS (β 0.144, p = 0.029)., Conclusions: The lower level of HRQOL reported by elderly immigrant populations was affected by multimorbidity and loneliness but not ethnicity. Similar to native elders, interventions aiming at improving HRQOL for immigrant elderly should focus on loneliness and (mental and physical) disease. Finally, health literacy deserves attention to maintain health., Trial Registration: ISRCTN89447795.

Background: In Western countries, health and social welfare facilities are not easily accessible for elderly immigrants and their needs are suboptimally addressed. A transition is needed towards culturally sensitive services to overcome barriers to make cure and care accessible for elderly immigrants. We developed an intervention programme in which ethnic community health workers act as liaisons between immigrant elderly and local health care and social welfare services. In this study we evaluate the effectiveness and the implementation of this intervention programme., Methods/design: In a quasi experimental design, the effectiveness of introduction of community health workers, health needs assessment, and follow-up intervention programme will be evaluated in three (semi) urban residential areas in the Netherlands and compared with a control group. Community health workers are selected from local ethnic communities and trained for the intervention. Data on health perception, quality of life, and care consumption are collected at baseline and after the intervention programme. Elderly's informal care givers are included to examine caregiver burden. The primary outcome is use of health care and social welfare facilities by the elderly. Secondary outcomes are quality of life and functional impairments. The target number of participants is 194 immigrant elderly: 97 for the intervention group and 97 for the control group. Implementation of the intervention programme will be examined with focus groups and data registration of community health worker activities., Discussion: This study can contribute to the improvement of care for elderly immigrants by developing culturally sensitive care whereby they actively participate. To enable a successful transition, proper identification and recruitment of community health workers is required. Taking this into account, the study aims to provide evidence for an approach to improve the care and access to care for elderly immigrants. Once proven effective, the community health worker function can be further integrated into the existing local health care and welfare system., Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN89447795.

Background: Psychotropic drug use in Europe and the USA has increased in the past 20 years. The rise in mental health-care use instigated a debate about possible differences in prevalence rates between different ethnic groups in the Netherlands, although the exact differences were unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether these minority groups were more or less likely than the native population to receive psychotropic drugs., Methods: A descriptive population study was conducted using the Agis Health Database, containing demographic and health-care consumption data of approximately 1.5 million inhabitants of the Netherlands. Rates of prescriptions of psychotropic drugs from 2001 to 2006 and adjusted odds ratios for psychotropic drug prescriptions among native Dutch, Turkish and Moroccan ethnic groups were calculated. These data were analysed using logistic regression, after being adjusted for age, gender and socioeconomic status., Results: The mean year prevalence of psychotropic drug prescriptions from 2001 to 2006 was 14.0%. Except for a decrease in anxiolytic drugs, the prescriptions of psychotropic drugs increased from 2001 to 2006. These trends were the same for all of the ethnic groups considered. Among both the Moroccan and Turkish populations, there was a higher risk of antidepressant and antipsychotic drug prescriptions, and a pronounced lower risk of ADHD medication and lithium prescriptions compared to the native population. Among the Turkish population, the risk of anxiolytic drug prescriptions was greater than in the native population., Conclusions: Compared to the native population in the Netherlands, first- and second-generation Turkish and Moroccan immigrants had an increased risk of antidepressant and antipsychotic drug prescriptions and a decreased risk of ADHD medication and Lithium prescriptions. Further research is needed to clarify whether patients of different ethnic backgrounds with the same symptoms receive similar diagnosis and adequate treatment.