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Cardiovascular Disease in Somali Women in the Diaspora

  • Race and Ethnicity (AE Sumner, Section Editor)
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Abstract

With globalization and transnational migration, there is an increasing need for health systems in destination countries to consider the healthcare needs of diverse immigrant populations. This article reviews the literature on cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in Somali women in the diaspora. Although we found no studies on cardiovascular disease per se, the little extant research demonstrates that Somali women are exposed to multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This important area of research may have been neglected due to an inordinate focus on maternal and reproductive health. We call for a more inclusive approach to Somali women’s health that takes into account social and cultural contexts of women’s lives while addressing health and illness experienced across the lifespan.

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Disclosure

R. Kumar: none. G. Einstein is a board member for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences, and ECHO, Improving Women’s Health in Ontario. She has written an expert report for Bagambiire Law Associates, receives royalties from Sinauer and Associates, and pending/issued patent from the US Government (# 6,432,643).

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  1. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada

    Ramya Kumar

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George St., Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada

    Gillian Einstein

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  1. Ramya Kumar
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  2. Gillian Einstein
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Correspondence to Gillian Einstein.

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Kumar, R., Einstein, G. Cardiovascular Disease in Somali Women in the Diaspora. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 6, 229–237 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-012-0233-5

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