An Overview of the Health Profile of Syrian Refugees Arriving in Kentucky from 2012-2017

Abstract

Background: The civil unrest in Syria has led to millions of displaced Syrians. The United States has relocated over 15,000 Syrian refugees, mostly arriving since 2015. Little is known about the health of Syrian refugees entering the United States. Methods: Syrian refugees in Kentucky who had a medical screening and documented RHA from October 2012 to September 2017 were included in the study. The information is collected and stored in the Arriving Refugee Informatics Surveillance and Epidemiology (ARIVE) database. This study is a retrospective review of the ARIVE database to describe the general health of the Syrian refugees arriving to Kentucky which can be generalized to those arriving to other states. Results: A total of 521 Syrian refugees had a complete RHA from October 2012 to September 2017. The top diagnosed conditions in Syrian refugee adults included dental conditions, elevated BMI, hematuria, vision changes and anemia. The top diagnosed conditions in Syrian refugee children included low BMI, dental conditions, hematuria, vision changes and anemia. Adult Syrian males had significantly higher cardiovascular risk factors compared to adult females. Conclusions: Syrian refugees often have chronic conditions that require long term management, aggressive risk stratification and preventative health measures. Effective primary and preventative care is therefore essential to limit the long-term tertiary complications as they integrate into the local community