5. The influence of interviewers’ ethnic background in a survey among Surinamese in the Netherlands

ObjectiveFew European studies examined frailty among older persons from diverse ethnic backgrounds. We aimed to examine the association of ethnic background with frailty. In addition, we explored the association of ethnic background with distinct components that are considered to be relevant for frailty.Design and settingThis was a cross-sectional study of pooled data of The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Survey Minimum DataSet (TOPICS) in the Netherlands.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling persons aged 55 years and older with a Dutch, Indonesian, Surinamese, Moroccan or Turkish ethnic background were included (n=23 371).MeasurementsFrailty was assessed with the validated TOPICS-Frailty Index that consisted of 45 items. The TOPICS-Frailty Index contained six components: morbidities, limitations in activities of daily living (ADL), limitations in instrumental ADL, health-related quality of life, psychosocial health and self-rated health. To examine the associations of ethnic background with frailty and with distinct frailty components, we estimated multilevel random-intercept models adjusted for confounders.ResultsTOPICS-Frailty Index scores varied from 0.19 (SD=0.12) among persons with a Dutch background to 0.29 (SD=0.15) in persons with a Turkish background. After adjustment for age, sex, living arrangement and education level, persons with a Turkish, Moroccan or Surinamese background were frailer compared with persons with a Dutch background (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in frailty between persons with an Indonesian compared with a Dutch background. The IADL component scores were higher among all groups with a non-Dutch background compared with persons with a Dutch background (p<0.05 or lower for all groups).ConclusionsCompared with older persons with a Dutch background, persons with a Surinamese, Moroccan or Turkish ethnic background were frailer. Targeted intervention strategies should be developed for the prevention and reduction of frailty among these older immigrants.

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Ethnic background and differences in health care use: a national cross-sectional study of native Dutch and immigrant elderly in the Netherlands

International Journal for Equity in Health ◽

10.1186/1475-9276-8-35 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 35 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Semiha Denktaş ◽

Gerrit Koopmans ◽

Erwin Birnie ◽

Marleen Foets ◽

Gouke Bonsel

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Ethnic Background ◽

Health Care Use ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

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“Ex-Imprisoned Homicide Offenders: Once Bitten, Twice Shy?” The Effect of the Length of Imprisonment on Recidivism for Homicide Offenders

Homicide Studies ◽

10.1177/1088767912450012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 259-279 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Pieter Baay ◽

Marieke Liem ◽

Paul Nieuwbeerta

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Ethnic Background ◽

Different Characteristics

This study aims to examine recidivism patterns and the influence of imprisonment length for all homicide offenders who have been convicted in the Netherlands between 1996 and 2004. In addition, we tested whether imprisonment effects differed between homicide offenders with different characteristics. Analyses on 621 homicide offenders indicate that longer imprisonment systematically increases recidivism frequency, not recidivism speed. We find some indications that imprisonment length increases recidivism to a greater extent for offenders with an intimate partner, with a Western ethnic background and for offenders with a relatively shorter detention history prior to the homicide.

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Happiness among Adolescents in the Netherlands: Ethnic and Sex Differences

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1989.65.2.577 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 577-578 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maykel Verkuyten

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Sex Differences ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Ethnic Minority ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

Ethnic Background ◽

Length Of Residence ◽

Minority Adolescents ◽

Ethnic Minority Adolescents

A nationwide sample of 2710 Dutch adolescents and 518 ethnic minority adolescents living in the Netherlands was used to examine ethnic and sex differences in happiness. Analyses of variance were conducted with ethnic background, sex, and length of residence in the Netherlands, as variables. Socioeconomic status was included in the analyses as a covariate. Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds, as compared to the Dutch, had significantly lower scores on a generalized estimates of life satisfaction and on a measure of hedonic effect. Both differences, however, explained only a very small amount of variance. Girls (from all ethnic groups including the Dutch) had lower scores than boys on both measures. There was no significant effect for length of residence on either measure.

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