Globalization and Health
Volume 15, Issue 1, 2019

Cardio-metabolic disease risk factors among South Asian labour migrants to the Middle East: A scoping review and policy analysis (Review) (Open Access)

Mishra S.R.* , Ghimire S. , Joshi C. , Gyawali B. , Shrestha A. , Neupane D. , Sharma S.R. , Pokharel Y. , Virani S.S.
  • a Nepal Development Society, Bharatpur-10, Chitwan, Nepal
  • b University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
  • c Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
  • d Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
  • e Harvard T Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
  • f Nepal Development Society, Bharatpur-10, Chitwan, Nepal, Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
  • g Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
  • h Saint Luke's Mild America Heart Institute, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States, Health Foundation Nepal, Lalitpur, Nepal, America Nepal Medical Foundation, Westfield, MA, United States
  • i Section of Cardiology, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States, Section of Cardiovascular Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the burgeoning burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CMD) risk factors among South Asian labor migrants to the Middle East. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of literature using PubMed/Medline and grey literature searches, supplemented by a policy review of policies from the South Asian countries. We found a high burden of cardio-metabolic risk factors among the migrants as well as among the populations in the home and the host countries. For example, two studies reported the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) ranging between 9 and 17% among South Asian migrants. Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent amongst South Asian male migrants; prevalence ranged from 30 to 66% (overweight) and 17-80% (obesity) respectively. The home country population had a significant CMD risk factor burden. Nearly 14 to 40% have three or more risk factors: such as hypertension (17 to 37%), diabetes (3 to 7%), overweight (18 to 41%), and obesity (2 to 15%). The host country also exhibited similar burden of risk factors: hypertension (13 to 38%), diabetes (8 to 17%), overweight (33 to 77%) and obesity (35 to 41%). Only Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have some provisions related to screening of CMDs before labor migration. Further, analysis of policy papers showed that none of the reviewed documents had requirements for screening of any specific CMDs, but chronic diseases were used generically, failing to specify specific screening target. Given the high burden of risk factors, migrants' health should become an urgent priority. The lack of specific focus on screening during different stages of labor migration should receive attention. The International Labour Organization and the International Office for Migration, through their country coordination teams should engage local stakeholders to create policies and plans to address this concern. Similarly, there is a need for the host country to become an equal partner in these efforts, as migrant's better cardiometabolic health is in the benefit of both host and home countries. © 2019 The Author(s).

Author Keywords

Cardiovascular diseases Migration South Asia Migrants Non-communicable diseases Labour diabetes

Index Keywords

physical inactivity management South Asian Cardiovascular Diseases human Asia Middle East statistics and numerical data diabetes mellitus metabolic disorder obesity priority journal hypertension policy chronic disease ethnology cardiometabolic risk screening Sri Lanka Humans migrant smoking cardiovascular disease labor migration risk factor Risk Factors Review prevalence disease prevalence migration blood pressure measurement Emigration and Immigration Bangladesh Health Policy Transients and Migrants Nepal food intake body mass systematic review Metabolic Diseases policy making policy analysis immigrant population
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85065248988&doi=10.1186%2fs12992-019-0468-8&partnerID=40&md5=b92ca858cafa5c438a272c2fedd5c437
DOI: 10.1186/s12992-019-0468-8
ISSN: 17448603
Original Language: English