[Insufficient participation in prevention programs for infants by Turkish, Moroccan, Chinese and Vietnamese parents in large cities].

OBJECTIVE

To establish the participation in a number of effective prevention programmes for infants of Turkish, Maroccan, Chinese and Vietnamese inhabitants of the four major cities in the Netherlands.

DESIGN

Enquiry.

SETTING

Health centres in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.

METHOD

Health centre staff members in 1994 asked 194 Turkish and 158 Maroccan parents to participate in the study: the responses were 142 (73%) and 104 (66%), respectively. With the aid of Chinese and Vietnamese female interpreters, 44 parents of Chinese and 75 of Vietnamese infants were persuaded to participate. Previously instructed interviewers presented the parents of all children with a number of structured questions in their own languages regarding use of vitamins (A)D and K and about vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and poliomyelitis (DKTP) and with BCG vaccine.

RESULTS

Bottle feeding alone was given to 18% of the Turkish, 43% of the Maroccan, 71% of the Chinese and 51% of the Vietnamese children. 82% Of the children were given vitamin A(D), the Maroccan children the most and the Vietnamese children the least often. Of the breast-fed children, 65% were given vitamin K, the Turkish children the most often. The DKTP vaccination degrees (1st, 2nd and 3rd vaccination) of the Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese children was in accordance with those of Dutch children, but of the Maroccan children, one in five had not been vaccinated according to the parents. The BCG vaccination degrees were too low among the Turkish (55%) and the Maroccan (42%) children. Of the mothers, 27% reported having been vaccinated against rubella; 2% had vaccination certificates.

CONCLUSION

Participation of the four groups of allochtonous children in the effective prevention programmes investigated was insufficient. At contacts of health workers with these groups, participation in prevention programmes should always be established. Support by means of educative material to be developed specifically should be made a subject of research.