Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, 4052 Basel, Switzerland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 5;16(24):4926. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244926.
Refugees have a particularly high prevalence of psychopathological disorders. Despite this, little attention has been paid to the treatment of traumatized refugees, and research on the effects of exercise and sport among refugees is still in its infancy. Thus far, no randomized controlled trials have been carried out in a refugee camp setting, most likely because such trials are complicated by multiple organizational and methodological issues. We highlight some major challenges when carrying out experimental research in a refugee camp. This report of professional practice is based on systematic observations, individual and focus group interviews, and experiences made in a pre-experimental study, implemented in a refugee camp on the Greek mainland. The report provides background information about how refugees generally come to Greece, how transit camps are typically managed, which institutions are involved in the camp management, which rules need to be followed by people working in a camp, which countries refugees generally come from, and the conditions in which they live in the camp. We also identify general factors that complicate experimental research in such a setting, and highlight specific issues pertaining to sport and exercise-based intervention trials. Currently, more people are fleeing their home regions than after the end of the Second World War. This situation calls for a change in the understanding of humanitarian aid. Pure material and technical support must be complemented by public health measures, including exercise and sport programs. Researchers who want to enter this field of research can learn important lessons from our observations.
难民群体中精神病理学障碍的发病率极高。尽管如此,针对创伤后难民的治疗工作却很少受到关注,而关于运动对难民影响的研究也处于起步阶段。到目前为止,还没有在难民营环境中开展随机对照试验,这很可能是因为此类试验受到多种组织和方法问题的影响而变得复杂。我们强调了在难民营中开展实验研究时所面临的一些主要挑战。本专业实践报告基于系统观察、个人和焦点小组访谈,以及在希腊大陆难民营中开展的一项预实验研究中所获得的经验。该报告提供了有关难民通常如何抵达希腊、过境营地通常如何管理、参与营地管理的机构有哪些、在营地工作的人需要遵守哪些规定、难民通常来自哪些国家以及他们在营地中的生活条件等方面的背景信息。我们还确定了在这种环境下进行实验研究的一般复杂因素,并强调了与运动和基于运动的干预试验相关的具体问题。目前,逃离家园的人数比第二次世界大战结束后还要多。这种情况要求我们改变对人道主义援助的理解。除了物资和技术支持,还必须采取公共卫生措施,包括运动和体育项目。希望进入这一研究领域的研究人员可以从我们的观察中吸取重要的经验教训。