How are Sweden’s national minorities doing?
Mapping the health situation of the national minorities, and proposals for preventive and health promotion
➢ The Roma reported problems with high alcohol consumption, primarily among men and young people. They also reported gambling and pill addictions, as well as drug abuse, as growing problems.
➢ The country's indigenous Sámi population had similar health conditions as the wider population in terms of life expectancy. But there are significant differences between the 2,500 reindeer herding Sámi and their 20,000 non-reindeer herding counterparts, with the former running an increased risk of workplace accidents and suicide.
➢ Swedish Finns were found to be in worse physical condition than the majority population, while psychological problems are more common among men in this group than in the population at large. Swedish Finns are also heavier smokers and financially less well off than the rest of the population.
➢ Tornedalers are in slightly worse physical health than the population as a whole. They are also less physically active, less involved in social affairs and more financially vulnerable than the majority population.
➢ Jews on the other hand are in better physical, mental and financial shape than the population at large. They also showed higher levels of social participation than the general population. Male Jews did however report levels of discrimination that are above the norm.
Source: The Swedish National Institute of Public Health [Folkhälsoinstitutet]
