DOI: 10.20518/tjph.1808480 ISSN: 1304-1088

Assessment of social distance toward refugees and related factors among prehospital emergency health care providers

Seval Çalışkan Pala, Ali Kılınç, Didem Arslantaş, Alaettin Ünsal, Veli Görkem Pala
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Objective: Social distance towards refugees among health care providers reflects how refugees benefit from health services and empathy, acceptance, and discrimination. Social distance is crucial for Pre-Hospital Emergency Health Care Providers (PHEHCP), who are the first group to encounter refugees in health emergencies. This study aimed to determine the social distance levels of PHEHCP toward refugees in Eskişehir and examine the social and professional factors associated with social distance.Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among employees of the Eskişehir Provincial Ambulance Service between 2019 and 2020. A total of 356 PHEHCP Eskişehir constituted the study group. The questionnaire covered sociodemographic characteristics and associated factors, as well as questions from the Social Distance Scale (SDS). Results: Among the participants, 207 (58.1%) were female and 149 (41.9%) were male. Their ages ranged from 20-60 years, with a mean of 32.2±7.5 years. The SDS scores of the participants ranged between 7-35, with a mean of 16.2±6.9 points (median: 16.0). Married participants, paramedics, those without relatives with refugee friends, those who believed that refugees increased their workload, and those who did not feel socioeconomically responsible had a greater social distance from refugees.Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be said that the participants’ social distance was at a moderate level. Social distance toward refugees is influenced not only by social or cultural differences but also by individuals’ social relationships, levels of empathy, professional experience, and perceptions of responsibility.

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