Long-Term Physical Health Outcomes of Resettled Refugee Populations in the United States: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Several studies describe the health of recently resettled refugee populations in the US beyond the first 8 months after arrival. This review summarizes the results of these studies. Scientific articles from five databases published from January 2008 to March 2019 were reviewed. Articles were included if study subjects included any of the top five US resettlement populations during 2008–2018 and if data described long-term physical health outcomes beyond the first 8 months after arrival in the US. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria (1.5%). Refugee adults had higher odds of having a chronic disease compared with non-refugee immigrant adults, and an increased risk for diabetes compared with US-born controls. The most commonly reported chronic diseases among Iraqi, Somali, and Bhutanese refugee adults included diabetes and hypertension. Clinicians should consider screening and evaluating for chronic conditions in the early resettlement period. Further evaluations can build a more comprehensive, long-term health profile of resettled refugees to inform public health practice.

Experiences of armed conflicts and forced migration among women from countries in the Middle East, Balkans, and Africa: a systematic review of qualitative studies

“…Repeatedly and uniformly, studies show a high risk of mental health burdens among refugee women, including symptoms of posttraumatic stress and depression [13][14][15][16][17]. Refugees also show a high prevalence of various serious non-communicable and communicable diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and HIV [17][18][19][20]. Obstetric complications are also common, with higher rates of maternal and neonatal morbidity among forced migrants compared with non-migrant populations [17,[21][22][23][24].…”

Understanding Medication Adherence in Patients with Limited English Proficiency

“…One study has found that LEP patients with language-discordant physicians were more likely than LEP patients with language-concordant physicians to have poor glycemic control. 7 Thus, outcomes were improved for LEP patients when the patient and provider can communicate more easily. Our data supported this finding given that the observed differences among language groups dissipated after stratifying patients by language concordance with their providers.…”

“… 5 Even when compared to their U.S.-born ethnic counterparts, refugees have higher rates of diabetes. 6 , 7 Health education promoting physical activity and optimal self-care for LEP patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in primary care settings is often ineffective, leading to poorer control of blood glucose and poorer health outcomes than among English-speaking patients. 8 Other significant barriers to effective management of chronic disease, including diabetes mellitus, in refugees with LEP include: varying cultural beliefs about illness, 2 ineffective communication between provider and patient, 9 decreased access to pharmacy and medication services, 10 and decreased health literacy.…”

Severe hypovitaminosis D in pregnant refugees arriving in Europe: neonatal outcomes and importance of prenatal intervention

“…According to the United Nations high Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) 79,5 million people around the world had been forcibly displaced from their primary residence at the end of 2019, including 26 million refugees. Refugees are constantly faced with multiple acute and chronic illnesses (14). Among them, a particularly sensitive group are women in pregnancy (15).…”