Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 21, Issue 2, 2019, Pages 246-256

Trends in Chronic Diseases Reported by Refugees Originating from Burma Resettling to the United States from Camps Versus Urban Areas During 2009–2016 (Article)

Bardenheier B.H.* , Phares C.R. , Simpson D. , Gregg E. , Cho P. , Benoit S. , Marano N.
  • a Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, United States
  • b Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, United States
  • c Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, United States
  • d Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States
  • e Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States
  • f Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States
  • g Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, United States

Abstract

We examined changes in the prevalence of chronic health conditions among US-bound refugees originating from Burma resettling over 8 years by the type of living arrangement before resettlement, either in camps (Thailand) or in urban areas (Malaysia). Using data from the required overseas medical exam for 73,251 adult (≥ 18 years) refugees originating from Burma resettling to the United States during 2009–2016, we assessed average annual percent change (AAPC) in proportion ≥ 45 years and age- and sex-standardized prevalence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and musculoskeletal disease, by camps versus urban areas. Compared with refugees resettling from camps, those coming from urban settings had higher prevalence of obesity (mean 18.0 vs. 5.9%), diabetes (mean 6.5 vs. 0.8%), and hypertension (mean 12.7 vs. 8.1%). Compared with those resettling from camps, those from urban areas saw greater increases in the proportion with COPD (AAPC: 109.4 vs. 9.9) and musculoskeletal disease (AAPC: 34.6 vs. 1.6). Chronic conditions and their related risk factors increased among refugees originating from Burma resettling to the United States whether they had lived in camps or in urban areas, though the prevalence of such conditions was higher among refugees who had lived in urban settings. © 2018, This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.

Author Keywords

Chronic conditions Camps and urban settings Refugees originating from Burma Resettling

Index Keywords

male Emigrants and Immigrants female Humans refugee Refugees Myanmar mass screening chronic disease prevalence ethnology United States human adult migrant middle aged
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85055019858&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-018-0749-y&partnerID=40&md5=0dd9f21ce849512072b8af92413cf115
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-018-0749-y
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English