Traveller men are now living 15 years less than men in the general population, a new study has found.
The All Ireland Traveller Health study, which took three years to complete and encompassed over 10,500 Traveller families across the whole island, was jointly funded by health departments on both sides of the Border.
The study found that Traveller men live on average to the age of 61.7, a life expectancy equivalent to Irish males in 1945.
Compared to the general population, their life expectancy has decreased by five years since in 1987. The study also found that suicide rates are nearly seven times higher in Traveller men compared to the general population.
While the life expectancy of traveller women has increased to 70, this is still 11.5 years less than women in the general population.
The health of Traveller women has improved, however, with an uptake of cervical screening that is higher than the general population, and an uptake of breast screening that is similar to the general population.
The main causes of death in the community were found to be heart disease, cancer and lung disease. Social determinants such as accommodation, education, employment, poverty, discrimination and access and utilisation of services were also factors.
The study, which was chaired by Professor Cecily Kelleher of UCD’s School of Public Health, trained more than 400 Travellers to conduct research in their own communities. Prof Kelleher said the 80 per cent response rate was “unprecedented.”
Speaking at the launch of the study, Minister for Health Mary Harney said: “This study has benefits that go beyond health to education, housing and employment.”
Commending the high participation rate by Travellers, she said “the report has some obvious conclusions that need to be quickly translated into policy.” She said there was a need to “target campaigns specifically at Travellers, engaging Traveller men in particular to come forward for help.”
Traveller primary care health worker, Missie Collins who addressed the event said she was, “sad and disappointed that many of us are dying too young.” She said “We need to start working on men’s health and we can’t do that on fresh air. Funding is vital.”
Martin Collins, assistant director of Pavee Point urged the Minister to maintain Traveller Community Development Programmes saying that “primary health care work wouldn’t exist without them.”
In other findings, the study showed that the population profile of the Traveller community, which numbers some 40,000 in Ireland, is similar to that of developing countries with a high birth rate, two thirds of the population under-25 but with fewer older people.
The results showed that just under half of all Travellers feel discriminated against with six out of ten experiencing discrimination at school. The least discrimination was experienced in sport.
In addition, only half of Traveller adults had completed at least primary school with three out of ten having difficulty reading. More than 90 per cent of all 14 year olds however are now in school training schemes.
In her recommendations, Professor Kelleher said that all Traveller children be supported to obtain their Junior Cert and that a gendered strategy on mental illness was a priority.
