Differences in hospital admissions between ethnic groups

According to a new study based on medical registers and population registers, relatively more Turks are admitted to hospital in the Netherlands than Moroccans, Surinamese or native Dutch people. The figures refer to people aged up to 50 years.

Average number of hospital admissions per year, 1995-2001

Hospital admissions by ethnic group

In the period studied, 1995-2001, the average number of hospital admissions per 100 persons in the population aged up to 50 was 9.2 for men ad 13.3 for women.

The average number of hospital admissions for men was lowest among native Dutch men and highest for Turkish men (9.1 and 11.9 per 100 persons per year in these groups). For women there were also more admissions among Turks but also significantly more among Surinamese and Moroccans women than among native Dutch women.

Average number of admissions constant

In Dutch hospitals , patients can be admitted as in-patients or as day patients.

On average, two out of three admissions are in-patient admissions. In the period 1995-2001 there was a decrease in in-patient hospitalisation, while the number of day patient admissions increased.

The average number of admissions per person hardly changed in the period, however.

Average number of in-patient admissions per year, 1995-2001

In-patient hospitalisation

For Turkish men the average number of in-patient admissions was clearly higher than for other ethnic groups. For women the number was highest for Moroccans and Turks. The differences are fairly constant though the years.

If childbirth is excluded, admissions among the Moroccans falls, and the number of admissions is then highest among both men and women of Turkish origin.

Average number of day patient admissions per year, 1995-2001

Day patients

Not only the number of in-patient admissions, but the number of day-patient admissions, too, was highest for Turkish men and women in all the years of the study. Surinamese men and Moroccan women have the lowest number of day patient admissions.

If circumcision operations are excluded, the number of day patient admissions falls for Moroccans in particular, followed by Turks and Surinamese respectively. For men the day admissions rate is then highest for Turkish and native Dutch men.

Average stay for in-patients

Length of hospitalisation

For in-patient admissions, the average stay, i.e. number of days in hospital, decreased at the same rate for both men and women in the period 1995-2001. By ethnic group, the stay in hospital is longest for the Surinamese in all years.

Gerard Verweij

Source: StatLine