European Journal of Public Health
Volume 26, Issue 4, 2016, Pages 667-673

Cardiovascular risk factors among Russian, Somali and Kurdish migrants in comparison with the general Finnish population (Article) (Open Access)

Skogberg N.* , Laatikainen T. , Koskinen S. , Vartiainen E. , Jula A. , Leiviskä J. , Härkänen T. , Koponen P.
  • a Department of Welfare, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, FI-00271, Finland
  • b Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland, Department of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
  • c Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • d Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • e Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku, Finland
  • f Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • g Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • h Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

Abstract

Background: There is limited information on cardiovascular risk among migrants. We compared cardiovascular risk factors among three major migrant groups in Finland with the general population. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 30- to 64-year-old health examination participants (n = 921) of the Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (2010-12) were used. Data for comparison with the general Finnish population were obtained from the Health 2011 Study (n = 892). Results: Russian men had a similar risk profile to that of the reference group. Kurdish men had lower prevalence of hypertension [prevalence ratio (PR) 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39-0.79] but higher prevalence of dyslipidaemia (PR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.24) and hyperglycaemia (PR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.88-3.64) compared with the reference group. Somali men had lower prevalence of smoking (PR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08-0.44), hypertension (PR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32-0.97)) and obesity (PR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.17-0.71) but higher prevalence of hyperglycaemia (PR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.73-3.86) compared with the reference group. Similar patterns were observed for women, except for higher prevalence of hyperglycaemia among Russian women (PR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.26-3.01) and obesity among Kurdish and Somali women (PR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.15-1.72 and PR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.40-2.03, respectively) compared with the reference group. All migrant women had significantly lower prevalence of smoking than the reference group. Conclusions: There were significant variations in cardiovascular risk profiles of Kurdish and Somali migrants compared with the general population. Differences in cardiovascular risk factors by migrant group need to be taken into account in planning and implementing health promotion strategies. © 2016 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Russia Finland Cardiovascular Diseases human middle aged statistics and numerical data Iraq comparative study Health Surveys ethnology Iran procedures Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study Humans cardiovascular disease male female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics adult migration sex factor Sex Factors Somalia Transients and Migrants Russian Federation health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84984712132&doi=10.1093%2feurpub%2fckw041&partnerID=40&md5=24842ca105e3e3cb211a99befce33b10
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckw041
ISSN: 11011262
Cited by: 9
Original Language: English