P01-468 - Family environment: differences between men and women greek roma

Introduction Roma attribute a great value at the family life. For them the family is the basic axis around which their community structures and their personal relationships are developed. Aim The present study aimed to evaluate the family relationships, the personal growth and the family system maintenance in male and female Roma. Materials and methods 145 individuals (105 male and 89 female), residents of the general area of Greece, participated in the present study. The measures used were: a) The Family Environment Scale (Form R-FES) and b) A questionnaire concerning socio-demographic information. Results The mean age of men was 35.31 ± 11.21 years old, while the mean age of women was 32.43 ± 11.70 years old. According to the findings, the men scored higher in certain factors which were studied. In particular, they reported significantly greater Achievement Orientation (P=.000), Moral-Religious Emphasis (P = .000), Family Control (P = .000), Family Organization (P=.016) and Family Incongruence Score (P=.011). Conclusions Male Roma hold a special place in the Roma family, whereas the female's Roma place in the society of Roma in Greece is underestimated. Based on the measures used in the present study, the male Roma are characterised by greater ethics, religiousness, tendency to achieve their goals and generally to do things. Also, the male Roma seem to have a greater control over the family, in comparison to the female Roma.