Page 65 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 65
Working on Epidemiological Data: Problems Encountered and Lessons Learned
or collective (macro) level.⁵ The list of Recommended Sexual and Reproduc-
tive Health and Rights Indicators for Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals
(Guttmacher Institute, 2015, p. 3) provides examples of macro-level indi-
cators and specifies whether indicators are available, or just ‘aspirational’
(Table 1).⁶
As can be easily understood from terms such as ‘proportion,’ ‘percentage’
or ‘rate,’ many indicators are built by gathering information at the individual
level, later aggregated to estimate the health status of categories or groups of
people defined according to gender, social status, country or cultural origin,
etc. In other instances, indicators genuinely refer to the ‘macro’ level, since
they do not derive from the aggregation of individual data (it deals, for exam-
ple, of legislation, policies, or cultural traditions of the countries considered).
Undoubtedly, one may use ‘macro’ health indices to attribute a presump-
tuous degree of health/risk to single women coming from, or belonging to,
specific countries or categories.
However, it is necessary to underline that some indicators, designed to
monitor sexual and reproductive health in different countries of the world,
are not necessarily useful for evaluating the situation of immigrant women.
For example, the Reproductive health indicators lists, among others, antena-
tal care coverage, births attended by skilled health personnel and availabil-
ity of basic essential obstetric care are (World Health Organization, 2006). In
the countries of origin, these services may be lacking but, when dealing with
women and their health, once immigrated to Italy and Slovenia we can con-
sider these services available. Therefore, instead of ascertaining the availabil-
ity of such services, it will be necessary to check whether women use them,
particularly in the case of antenatal assistance.
Furthermore, using macro indices is a rough approximation since every
woman, while sharing a social or ethno-national belonging, and thus a
generic level of sexual and reproductive health, bears a specific situation
that can improve or completely nullify the level determined by macro indi-
cators. It is therefore evident that the information gathered at the individual
level, useful for the contribution they can make to the construction of macro-
indices, are essential for determining the sexual and reproductive health of
single women who, in the case of the INTEGRA project, are mainly those that
use the services offered by hospitals and outpatient facilities.
⁵ For a preliminary approach, see (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_analysis).
⁶ By citing not yet available indicators, the list is particularly useful for the INTEGRA Project, as it
suggests directions to which it would be advisable to proceed.
63
or collective (macro) level.⁵ The list of Recommended Sexual and Reproduc-
tive Health and Rights Indicators for Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals
(Guttmacher Institute, 2015, p. 3) provides examples of macro-level indi-
cators and specifies whether indicators are available, or just ‘aspirational’
(Table 1).⁶
As can be easily understood from terms such as ‘proportion,’ ‘percentage’
or ‘rate,’ many indicators are built by gathering information at the individual
level, later aggregated to estimate the health status of categories or groups of
people defined according to gender, social status, country or cultural origin,
etc. In other instances, indicators genuinely refer to the ‘macro’ level, since
they do not derive from the aggregation of individual data (it deals, for exam-
ple, of legislation, policies, or cultural traditions of the countries considered).
Undoubtedly, one may use ‘macro’ health indices to attribute a presump-
tuous degree of health/risk to single women coming from, or belonging to,
specific countries or categories.
However, it is necessary to underline that some indicators, designed to
monitor sexual and reproductive health in different countries of the world,
are not necessarily useful for evaluating the situation of immigrant women.
For example, the Reproductive health indicators lists, among others, antena-
tal care coverage, births attended by skilled health personnel and availabil-
ity of basic essential obstetric care are (World Health Organization, 2006). In
the countries of origin, these services may be lacking but, when dealing with
women and their health, once immigrated to Italy and Slovenia we can con-
sider these services available. Therefore, instead of ascertaining the availabil-
ity of such services, it will be necessary to check whether women use them,
particularly in the case of antenatal assistance.
Furthermore, using macro indices is a rough approximation since every
woman, while sharing a social or ethno-national belonging, and thus a
generic level of sexual and reproductive health, bears a specific situation
that can improve or completely nullify the level determined by macro indi-
cators. It is therefore evident that the information gathered at the individual
level, useful for the contribution they can make to the construction of macro-
indices, are essential for determining the sexual and reproductive health of
single women who, in the case of the INTEGRA project, are mainly those that
use the services offered by hospitals and outpatient facilities.
⁵ For a preliminary approach, see (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_analysis).
⁶ By citing not yet available indicators, the list is particularly useful for the INTEGRA Project, as it
suggests directions to which it would be advisable to proceed.
63
