School of Public Health
Department for Population Medicine and Health Services Research
STRONGDATA-Kids
Strengthening health data systems on migration and flight in Germany: a pilot study using the example of child and adolescent mental health
The overarching objective of the STRONGDATA project is to enhance data systems related to migration and health in Germany for improved reporting on the health of people with own or parental migration experience. As a first pilot study, STRONGDATA-kids focuses on the domain of mental health among children and adolescents with migration experience in Germany.
Background:
The availability of timely, relevant, and reliable health data is a prerequisite for effective health policies. However, Germany´s data systems for monitoring population health shows significant weaknesses in capturing the health status of migrants and their descendants. This broad population category includes people with very heterogenous health-related chances and risks, such as EU and non-EU citizens migrating legally as qualified workers, EU citizens migrating legally as low-wage workers with precarious access to social and health security systems, those without legal residence status, and those in the process of seeking asylum or other forms of international protection. Children and adolescents with migration experience represent a particularly vulnerable group.
Work packages and specific project objectives
- Work packages and specific project objectives
STRONGDATA-kids aims to strengthen data systems on migration and health in Germany and consists of 5 work packages:
- WP 1: Review and synthesis of available evidence on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of migration in Germany
- WP 2: Mapping and critical evaluation of available data sources in Germany in various settings (routine data, survey data, data from NGOs, official statistics) to identify data gaps and limitations
- WP 3: Exploration of the usability of potentially available but not yet (comprehensively) utilized data sources based on the results of work packages 1 and 2
- WP 4: Identification and involvement of relevant stakeholders, organizations, and institutions that hold particular relevance for data access and structural decision-making
- WP 5: Derivation of recommendations and approaches (legislative, technical, methodological, practical) to enhance data quality and advance the development of health data systems
The project will be carried out as a collaborative initiative and cooperation between the School of Public Health at the University of Bielefeld (Working Group 2: Population Medicine and Health Services Research, leading the collaboration in working package 1 and 3) and Department 28 at the Robert Koch Institute (Social Determinants of Health, leading the collaboration in working package 2 and 4). The leadership for work package 5 is shared between both institutions.
- Project management & team
This project is a collaborative effort between Bielefeld University and the Robert Koch Institute, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health.
Project Lead Robert Koch Institute: Dr. Claudia Hövener
Project Lead Bielefeld University: Professor Dr. Kayvan Bozorgmehr
The core team of the project further includes:
Marleen Bug (Robert Koch Institute)
Bianka Detering (Bielefeld University)
Veronika Wiemker (University Hospital Heidelberg)
Contact
Prof. Dr. Kayvan Bozorgmehr (project lead)
kayvan.bozorgmehr@uni-bielefeld.de
Claudia Hövener (project lead)