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Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in US-Bound Refugees: 2009–2017

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Abstract

Refugees are an often understudied population and vulnerable to poor health outcomes. No large-scale analyses have evaluated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in US-bound refugees. Using data obtained from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Electronic Disease Notification system, we quantified the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adult US-bound refugees by nationality from 2009 through 2017. This repeated cross-sectional analysis used CDC data to quantify and examine body mass index (BMI) trends in US-bound adult refugees during 2009–2017. Utilizing data from an overseas medical exam required for all US-bound refugees, we determined BMI for 334,746 refugees ≥ 18 years old who arrived in the United States during January 1, 2009–December 31, 2017. We calculated and compared the prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as changes in demographic characteristics (age, sex, and nationality) by year. Adjusted prevalence and prevalence ratios (APR) for yearly trends were assessed using a modified Poisson regression model with robust error variances. After adjusting for age, sex, and nationality, we observed a significant linear trend in the prevalence of overweight/obesity with an average annual relative percent increase of 3% for refugees entering the United States from 2009 through 2017 (APR = 1.031; 95% CI 1.029–1.033). The adjusted prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 35.7% in 2009 to 44.7% in 2017. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in US-bound refugees increased steadily over the analysis period. Investigation into pre-migration and post-resettlement interventions is warranted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA

    Dawn Davis, Joanne Salas & Jeffrey Scherrer

  2. Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Christina R. Phares

Authors
  1. Dawn Davis
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  2. Christina R. Phares
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  4. Jeffrey Scherrer
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Correspondence to Dawn Davis.

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The authors report no conflict of interest.

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This evaluation was reviewed by a CDC human subjects advisor and determined to be non-research, and it qualified for non-research exemption from the Institutional Review Board of Saint Louis University.

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Informed consent was not required due to non-research exemption.

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Davis, D., Phares, C.R., Salas, J. et al. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in US-Bound Refugees: 2009–2017. J Immigrant Minority Health 22, 1111–1117 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-00974-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-00974-y

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