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Chronic Health Conditions, Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviors of Bhutanese Refugees: A Houston-Based Needs Assessment

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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Here, I am a refugee. But I don’t want refuge. I want the wings to fly.

Devi, Bhutanese refugee child.

Abstract

Bhutanese refugees resettling in the U.S. face many challenges including several related to health and health care. Limited health literacy and the relatively complicated US health care system may contribute to health disparities as well. A health assessment was conducted on adult refugees in Houston, Texas to provide healthcare providers, community organizations, and stakeholders baseline data to plan programs and interventions. A convenience sample of 100 participants had a mean age of 38.37 years, 56 % where males, and almost 80 % did not have high school level education. High blood pressure (27 %), dizziness (27 %), and arthritis (22 %) were the commonly identified chronic health conditions and trouble concentrating (34 %) and fatigue (37 %) were also reported. Sixty-two percent of the respondents reported that they consume recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and 41 %reported that they were currently getting at least 20–30 min of aerobic exercise per day. The assessment concluded with recommendations on how better provide care and services for the refugees.

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Acknowledgments

A special thanks to Sewa International, USA Houston Chapter for its generous monetary donation to each of the participating refugees in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academic General Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 6621 Fannin, Suite A135, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Sanghamitra M. Misra & Angelo P. Giardino

  2. Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    Sanghamitra M. Misra & Angelo P. Giardino

  3. Department of Health and Human Services, City of Houston, 8000 North Stadium Drive, Houston, TX, 77054, USA

    Vishnu P. Nepal & Deborah Banerjee

Authors
  1. Sanghamitra M. Misra
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  2. Vishnu P. Nepal
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  3. Deborah Banerjee
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  4. Angelo P. Giardino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Angelo P. Giardino.

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Misra, S.M., Nepal, V.P., Banerjee, D. et al. Chronic Health Conditions, Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviors of Bhutanese Refugees: A Houston-Based Needs Assessment. J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 1423–1431 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0282-1

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