Asylum Seekers Health and Wellbeing Survey (TERTTU-Survey)
Information on the health and wellbeing of asylum seekers is limited
The aim of the TERTTU-Survey is to produce representative population-based survey data on the health, wellbeing and service needs of newly-arrived asylum seekers. This information will be used in policy-making as well as for development of the health services for asylum seekers.
Implementation of the TERTTU-Survey
The survey will be carried during 2018. All newly-arrived asylum seekers are invited to participate in the survey, with exception for those in detention units. The aim of the survey is to collect data on 1000 asylum seekers, including adults and children. The sample is nationally representative. The survey is mainly concentrated in transit reception centres in Helsinki, Turku, Oulu and Joutseno, which are the first place of residence for newly-arrived asylum seekers.
Data collection consists of a structured face-to-face interview and a health examination. The interview for adults consists of questions on living conditions, health, physical and social functional capacity, quality of life, experiences of traumatic and violent events, life-style habits and service use. The health examination consists of standardised measurements of weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse and a brief dental examination. The survey content for children is adapted from the adults’ survey. The guardian answers the interview questions concerning children aged 12 years or younger and the child participates in the health examination only. Children aged 13-17 years participate in the survey themselves.
The interview and the health examination are carried out by trained, multilingual personnel. Therefore, a large number of interviews can be carried out directly in the mother tongue of the participant. The rest of the interviews and health examinations are carried out using a professional interpreter (telephone interpretation). Survey materials are available in Finnish, English, Arabic, Persian, Kurdish (Sorani), Russian and Somali. Participants provide informed consent. The health examination results are provided for the participants orally and in written form. Participation in the survey does not replace the initial health assessment that is conducted by the reception centres.
Participation in the survey is strictly confidential
All the personal data collected during the TERTTU Survey is managed following the Personal Data Act and data management regulations stipulated by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The survey personnel are bound by a confidentiality clause. Participants’ personal information is not forwarded to the personnel of reception centres or anyone else. In case an evident need for healthcare or service needs arises through the course of the interview or health examination, participants are recommended to seek an appointment with the reception centre nurse.
Upon a separate consent, interview and health examination data may be supplemented with data from the reception centre’s electronic health record system. Also upon a separate consent, survey data of participants who are eventually granted a residence permit in Finland may be supplemented with register-based data used for monitoring the health and wellbeing of the general Finnish population. The survey has been approved by the Coordinating Ethics Committee of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District.
The TERTTU Survey is carried out as a part of the national-level project: Developing the health examination protocol for asylum seekers in Finland. The survey is conducted by THL in collaboration with the Finnish Immigration Service and is funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (Amif).
