Immigration Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Awareness

Abstract

Background No previous study has assessed the association between immigration status and awareness regarding a person's own CVD risk factors. Methods Using physical examination-based data and participants' self-report of prior diagnosis, we assessed immigration-based disparities in awareness of diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and overweight among 12,124 participants in the 2003-2008 National Health and Nutritional Survey. Results Unawareness of CVD risk factors is high among all groups, but tends to be higher among foreign-born English and non-English speaking participants than among US-born participants. Adjusting for demographic factors and access to health care, foreign-born participants are more likely to be unaware of their hypertension and overweight than US-born participants. Conclusion Immigrants are more likely than those born in the US to be unaware of their CVD risk factors, and may therefore be less motivated to seek treatment and modify their behavior to prevent negative CVD outcomes.

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