Increased health-care utilisation in international adoptees

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have documented that international adoptees have an increased occurrence of health problems and contacts to the health-care system after arriving to their new country of residence. This may be explained by pre-adoption adversities, especially for the period immediately after adoption. Our study aimed to the assess health-care utilisation of international adoptees in primary and secondary care for somatic and psychiatric diagnoses in a late post-adoption period. Is there an increased use of the health-care system in this period, even when increased morbidity in the group of international adoptees is taken into consideration?

METHODS: This was a Danish register-based cohort study examining health-care utilisation in a multivariable two-part model. The prevalence of selected outcomes and the quantity of use were assessed in a late (year three, four and five) post-adoption period. The cohort comprised internationally adopted children (n = 6,820), adopted between 1994 and 2005, and all non-adopted children (n = 492,374) who could be matched with the adopted children on sex, age, municipality and family constellation at the time of adoption.

RESULTS: International adoption increased the use of all services in primary care, while in secondary care only few areas showed an increased long-term morbidity.

CONCLUSION: International adoptees use medical services in primary care at a higher rate than non-adoptees some years after adoption. Excess use of services in secondary care is also present, but only exists in selected areas.

FUNDING: none.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.