According to the 2014 Health Barometer which has just been published by the Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics Department (DRESS), 61% of the population of the overseas departments and regions aged 15 to 75 (excluding Mayotte) say they feel in good or very good health This is less than in mainland France, where this rate is 69%.
In Guyana and Reunion, the perception of the state of health is a little better than in the other DROMs. 65% and 64% of inhabitants consider themselves to be in good or very good health, compared to 59% in Guadeloupe and 56% in Martinique.
These differences in perception are partly explained by the poorer social situation of overseas inhabitants (financial situation, diploma or professional situation).
A very marked disparity among women
These disparities are particularly marked among women. Indeed, at a comparable age, 57% of women in Reunion declare themselves to be in good or very good health, ie 11 points less than in Metropolitan France. This gap reaches respectively 13 points for Guyana and 16 points for Guadeloupe and Martinique. In these two departments, barely more than one woman in two (52%) perceives herself to be in good or very good health, compared to 68% of Metropolitan women.
More dental problems than in mainland France
Asked about their problems with oral health, the inhabitants of the DROMs are more numerous to declare having encountered them: 47% in Guyana and Guadeloupe and 48% in Martinique, against 41% of Metropolitans. Reunion has the worst state of dental health with 55% of Reunionese declaring that they have had dental problems and, for 9% of them, frequent problems.
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