Needs Assessment for Gypsy Americans Ashley Haynes, Savannah Patton, Kyle Marshall Department of Health Education and Health Promotion Introduction Findings Existing Health Promotion Programs Also known as “Travelers” or “Romani” Estimated 11 million gypsies worldwide Originated in India 1,500 years ago Biggest wave of immigration to U.S- end of 19th century Multiple subgroups make up U.S Gypsy population Ranges from 100,000 to 1 million Social Assessment Poor health Believe good health = good fortune Believe non-gypsy facilities are unclean and cause illness Health status undetermined due to isolation/unsettled location Epidemiology High incidence of heart disease, hypertension & diabetes (Sutherland, 1992, p.1) Strict and distinct hygiene practices: Use separate towels & soap for the top and bottom halves of the body for hygiene, view saliva & spitting as clean and curative Female medical care often avoided Educational and Ecological Predisposing Factors Undetermined due to wide range of origin Infrequent medical screenings Enabling Factors Taboo, fortune, health beliefs and family culture Discrimination from non-gypsies (Heimlich, 2017). Reinforcing Factors Gypsy “cures” that are proven effective Learned experiences based on taboo beliefs Continuous discrimination from non-gypsies Administrative and Policy Assessment Unknown health programs specific to gypsy population CDC Programs Diabetes & Heart disease prevention programs Smoking cessation programs Local Health Education Programs Health Clinics – Free Screenings Infant Care & Feeding classes Nutritional Classes Purpose of Needs Assessment Discussion Low health literacy Frequent conflict with medical personnel Distrust of medical community Needs assessments Community diagnosis Evaluate health status of community Determine community’s needs/assets Identify high-risk populations Identify priorities for health education/promotion interventions Methods Conclusion PRECEDE-PROCEED Model (Part 1: PRECEDE) Phase 1: Social Assessment Phase 2: Epidemiology Phase 3: Educational and Ecological Phase 4: Administrative and Policy Assessment Need to increase awareness of gypsy culture Need programs to increase health literacy and education Need advocacy programs for social acceptance Need to utilize social marketing campaigns to target Gypsy population For more information: arichards32@radford.edu