BMC Public Health
Volume 18, Issue 1, 2018

Hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diabetes among immigrants in the United States: An analysis of the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Survey (Review) (Open Access)

Commodore-Mensah Y.* , Selvin E. , Aboagye J. , Turkson-Ocran R.-A. , Li X. , Himmelfarb C.D. , Ahima R.S. , Cooper L.A.
  • a Department of Community-Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
  • b Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2024 E. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
  • c School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 733 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
  • d Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
  • e Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
  • f Department of Acute and Chronic Care, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
  • g Department of Community-Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2024 E. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
  • h Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, 2024 E. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2024 E. Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States

Abstract

Background: Ethnic minority populations in the United States (US) are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diabetes. The size and diversity of ethnic minority immigrant populations in the US have increased substantially over the past three decades. However, most studies on immigrants in the US are limited to Asians and Hispanics; only a few have examined the prevalence of CVD risk factors across diverse immigrant populations. The prevalence of diagnosed hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diagnosed diabetes was examined and contrasted among a socioeconomically diverse sample of immigrants. It was hypothesized that considerable variability would exist in the prevalence of hypertension, overweight and diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was conducted among 41,717 immigrants born in Europe, South America, Mexico/Central America/Caribbean, Russia, Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Asia and Southeast Asia. The outcomes were the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension, overweight/obesity, and diagnosed diabetes. Results: The highest multivariable adjusted prevalence of diagnosed hypertension was observed in Russian (24.2%) and Southeast Asian immigrants (23.5%). Immigrants from Mexico/Central America/Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent had the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity (71.5 and 73.4%, respectively) and diagnosed diabetes (9.6 and 10.1%, respectively). Compared to European immigrants, immigrants from Mexico/Central America/Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent respectively had higher prevalence of overweight/obesity (Prevalence Ratio (PR): 1.19[95% CI, 1.13-1.24]) and (PR: 1.22[95% CI, 1.14-1.29]), and diabetes (PR: 1.70[95% CI, 1.42-2.03]) and (PR: 1.78[95% CI, 1.36-2.32]). African immigrants and Middle Eastern immigrants had a higher prevalence of diabetes (PR: 1.41[95% CI, 1.01-1.96]) and PR: 1.57(95% CI: 1.09-2.25), respectively, than European immigrants - without a corresponding higher prevalence of overweight/obesity. Conclusions: Immigrants from Mexico/Central America/Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent bore the highest burden of overweight/obesity and diabetes while those from Southeast Asia and Russia bore the highest burden of hypertension. © 2018 The Author(s).

Author Keywords

immigrants Obesity Hypertension diabetes ethnic minorities

Index Keywords

human middle aged Overweight statistics and numerical data diabetes mellitus obesity hypertension Health Surveys Cross-Sectional Studies United States cross-sectional study migrant Humans male Emigrants and Immigrants female risk factor Risk Factors prevalence adult health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85048797177&doi=10.1186%2fs12889-018-5683-3&partnerID=40&md5=5f2a8a804ee71c4656165fe3fe876b7e
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5683-3
ISSN: 14712458
Cited by: 9
Original Language: English