Romani children's health: Results of structured interviews with Romani mothers in Bulgaria

Romani children (commonly referred to as "gypsies" in the literature), an ethnic minority of northern Indian origin, suffer from worse health outcomes than the general population in Bulgaria. We conducted structured interviews with 14 Romani mothers residing in one modern and industrialized city in Bulgaria to understand children's health-related behaviors and barriers to receiving care. According to the mothers, all children have governmental health insurance regardless of the employment status of the parents. All receive the required immunizations. All children receive an eye exam or vision screening in the first-grade, as required by the schools. A barrier to wearing eyeglasses that children experience is peer bullying. Children are usually taken to the dentist only when they have dental complaints. Mothers state that ensuring that their children are healthy is their top priority. Barriers to health care, however, include financial instability, limited reimbursement for medications and dental care, transportation difficulties, and parental illiteracy. Mothers state that to improve the health, health-related behaviors, and home sanitary conditions of children, parents need stable and better-paying careers. The findings suggest that interventions promoting vision and dental care among parents and children may help promote pediatric health. Literacy and work placement programs for parents may help increase career opportunities for parents thus improving access to and quality of care among children.