Technical Report - Donegal Traveller's Project

Health Survey FindingsSub-StudiesThe study was divided into the following sub-studies (see Figure 8 for diagrammatical representation):1. Census of Traveller PopulationThis was a census of the Traveller Population, which included information on accommodation,education, employment and demographic family profile. Only Travellers who self-identified as membersof the Travelling Community were included in the census. The census was based on enumeratingmembers of a family.2. Quantitative Study of Health Status and Health Service UtilisationFor efficiency purposes the UCD study team conducted the Travellers quantitative study at the sametime as the census. Based on principal respondent’s age, gender and family make-up, a sub-sampleof respondents were selected to answer questions on health status (adult or child) or health serviceutilisation. The advantages of data collection at the same time as the census were that only one contactwas made with each family, and that all the relevant information was collected on a single visit. Carryingout the quantitative study subsequent to the census would have doubled the amount of fieldwork andcould have resulted in a lower response rate due to missing some mobile Travellers.3. Mortality StudyThis study examined the mortality rates and life expectancy of Travellers through a 1-year retrospectivecount on all Traveller deaths on the island of Ireland.4. Birth Cohort StudyThis study identified all live births to Traveller mothers prospectively from the data of the census andsubsequent notifications from PHNs with a 1-year follow up period. All pregnancy outcomes, perinatal,neonatal and infant mortality rates and the child’s utilisation of services are being documented andtracked.5. Qualitative ConsultationThis study recruited a sample of Travellers for focus group discussions, case studies and qualitativeworkshops to explore their experience of the health services and perspectives on health and itsdeterminants.6. Service Providers StudiesThe remit of these studies was to explored Service Providers’ perceptions of Travellers health status andhealth needs and will identify models of good practice through qualitative and qualitative studies on asample of front line providers and health managers.7. Travellers in InstitutionsThis study is based on the documented the population of Travellers in institutions at the time of thecensus.45