Introduction: Several studies have documented thatinternational adoptees have an increased occurrence ofhealth problems and contacts to the health-care systemafter arriving to their new country of residence. This maybe explained by pre-adoption adversities, especially for theperiod immediately after adoption. Our study aimed to theassess health-care utilisation of international adoptees inprimary and secondary care for somatic and psychiatricdiagnoses in a late post-adoption period. Is there an increaseduse of the health-care system in this period, evenwhen increased morbidity in the group of internationaladoptees is taken into consideration?
Methods: This was a Danish register-based cohort studyexamining health-care utilisation in a multivariable two-partmodel. The prevalence of selected outcomes and the quantityof use were assessed in a late (year three, four and five)post-adoption period. The cohort comprised internationallyadopted children (n = 6,820), adopted between 1994 and2005, and all non-adopted children (n = 492,374) who couldbe matched with the adopted children on sex, age, municipalityand family constellation at the time of adoption.
Results: International adoption increased the use of allservices in primary care, while in secondary care only fewareas showed an increased long-term morbidity.
Conclusion: International adoptees use medical servicesin primary care at a higher rate than non-adoptees someyears after adoption. Excess use of services in secondarycare is also present, but only exists in selected areas.
Funding: not relevant.
Trial registration: not relevant.