Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 20, Issue 2, 2018, Pages 283-294

Sex Differences and Predictors of Changes in Body Weight and Noncommunicable Diseases in a Random, Newly-Arrived Group of Refugees Followed for Two Years (Article)

Jen K.-L.C.* , Jamil H. , Zhou K. , Breejen K. , Arnetz B.B.
  • a Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
  • b Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States, Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 220 Trowbridge Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
  • c Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
  • d Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 220 Trowbridge Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
  • e Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States, Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 220 Trowbridge Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Abstract

We have reported that none of the psychological/mental variables examined predicted the increase in BMI and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Iraqi refugees after 1 year resettlement in Michigan. We continuously followed the same cohort of refugees for 2 years (Y2 FU) to further determine the gender difference in predicting of increased BMI and NCDs. Only 20% of the BMI variability could be accounted for by the factors examined. Number of dependent children and depression were positively and stress negatively associated with BMI in male refugees but not in females. Number of dependent children was negatively associated with changes in BMI and in males only. Two-third of the NCD variability was accounted for by gender, BMI, employment status, depression, posttraumatic stress disorders and coping skills. Unmarried, unemployed and with high PTSD scores at Y2 in males were positively and number of dependent children was negatively associated with NCD changes in females. Factors such as dietary patterns and lifestyle may have contributed to the increased BMI and NCDs in these refugees at 2 years post-settlement. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Post-displacementstressors Iraqi refugees Body mass index Non-communicable disease Sex differences Financial

Index Keywords

depression refugee mental health human epidemiology Refugees middle aged statistics and numerical data Stress, Psychological mental stress Iraq coping behavior health status Adaptation, Psychological ethnology family size Family Characteristics United States Humans psychology Asian Americans male Asian American Acculturation Socioeconomic Factors female socioeconomics cultural factor adult body weight sex factor Sex Factors posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic body mass Body Mass Index employment non communicable disease Noncommunicable Diseases
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85016036260&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-017-0565-9&partnerID=40&md5=143d4d893b93a52be5b15e427855cc02
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-017-0565-9
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English