Condições de saúde e violência autorrelatadas por solicitantes de refúgio atendidos na Cáritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to analyze the health conditions and violence self-reported by asylum seekers assisted by Cáritas-RJ from 2010 to 2017. A cross-sectional study was carried out with secondary data, relating to 1,546 individuals who had completed the asylum application forms of the National Committee for Refugees from 2010 to 2017 and who had responded to the social interview at Cáritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for leaving the country of origin and travel trajectory were extracted from the Asylum Application Form; data on health conditions and violence were extracted from the social interview records. The absolute and relative frequencies of the variables included in the analysis and prevalence and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of the categories of health conditions and violence were calculated. Odds ratios (OR) and 95%CI were estimated for the reported occurrence of health conditions and violence in an exploratory simple logistic regression model, according to refugee status, sex, age group, education, marital status, means of transport, documentation status and country of birth. Almost half (44%) of the individuals arrived in Brazil in 2015 or 2016. The population was predominantly male (65%), single (65%), 71% were between 25 and 44 years old, 77% had completed high school or higher, and 46% completed the asylum application form in French. The countries of origin with the highest number of asylum seekers were the Democratic Republic of Congo (36%), Angola (17%), Colombia (8%) and Venezuela (6%). The most used means of transport to arrive in Brazil was air (79%) and 7% were undocumented or arrived with false or borrowed documents. One third (33%, 95%CI=30-35) of the population reported that they had suffered violence before arriving in Brazil. The most frequent type of violence was physical (10%, 95%CI=8-11) and torture (10%,95%CI=9-12), followed by threats (7%, 95%CI=6-8) and psychological (6%, 95%CI=5-7). The chances of violence were higher in the 45-59 age group (OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.0-2.6), who lived/lived in a marital relationship (OR=1.8 and 2.2, 95%CI= 1.4-2.2 and 1.4-3.7, respectively), and those from Pakistan (OR=46.4, 95%CI=11.1-323.5), Congo (OR=40.5, 95%CI=10.6-269.2), Colombia (OR=37.1, 95%CI=10.9-232.4), Democratic Republic of Congo (OR=28.5, 95%CI=8.8 -175.0) and Guinea (OR=18.5, 95%CI=4.4-175.0) (Guinea Bissau OR= 1,0 - refereence). Upon arrival in Brazil, 41% (95%CI=38-43) of asylum seekers reported having one or more health conditions. The chances of having health problems were higher in women (OR= 2.1, 95%CI=1.8-2.7), aged  45 years (OR=1.8, 95%CI=1.1-2 .8), who live/lived together (OR=1.8 and 2.5, 95%CI=1.4-2.2 and 1.5-4.3, respectively), with elementary education (OR=1, 9, 95%CI=1.4-2.6), in the undocumented (OR=4.4, 95%CI=2.8-7.1), and in those from Congo (OR=18.7, 95%CI= 6.3-63.7) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (OR=9.5, 95%CI=4.2-25.3). 877 health conditions were reported in the population, and more than half reported feeling pain (52 %). Refugees arriving in Brazil are a vulnerable population that needs access to health care to meet the various demands of their physical and mental health, arising from the migratory process or from the country of origin.