U.S. Migrant Networks and Adult Cardiometabolic Health in El Salvador

Abstract

Heightened prevalence of cardiometabolic health conditions in areas where infectious disease remains a major public health concern has created an especially challenging situation for developing countries, like El Salvador. Individuals living within migrant households where migrant networks are present may be at a greater risk for the development of cardiometabolic health conditions. Using data from the 2007 El Salvador database of the Latin American Migration Project (LAMP-ESLS4), this study investigates relations between financial remittances, familial U.S. migration history and cardiometabolic health conditions (overweight status, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke) among 534 individuals within 351 households from four different communities within the departments of La Unión, Cabañas, and San Miguel in El Salvador. Adults living in households that had close primary kin with U.S. migration history were almost two times less likely to be overweight (OR 0.456, p < 0.001) and obese (OR 0.453, p < 0.01) when adjusting for age, sex, education and economic well-being. This study highlights the importance of exploring the potential role of U.S. migrant ties in the epidemiologic transition present within developing countries, like El Salvador.

Migrant Workers and Physical Health: An Umbrella Review

“…One of the possible explanations for the greater prevalence of metabolic syndrome among migrants is the rapid transition from developing countries to Western countries; rapid changes in environmental factors and changes in lifestyles, such as greater sedentary habits and more consumption of energy foods, worsen the cardiovascular profiles of migrants [69,70]. Migration from rural areas to urban areas has in fact been associated with incorrect lifestyles and behavior patterns, with an increase in the consumption of polyunsaturated fats and a reduction in the consumption of saturated fats, complex carbohydrates, and fibers, as well as poor physical activity, having ben observed [27,71]. Also important is the role of particularly stressful jobs carried out by expatriate workers, including long shifts and night shifts that can alter biological cycles such as glucose and lipid metabolism [72].…”

Anthropometric and central obesity indices as predictors of long-term cardiometabolic risk among Saudi young and middle-aged men and women

“…Cardiometabolic health status is a major public health concern due to the high prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases locally and worldwide 1. There are several scoring systems available to quantify the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).…”

Migrant Workers and Physical Health: an Umbrella Review

“…One of the possible explanations for the greater prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among migrants is the rapid transition from developing countries to Western countries; rapid changes in environmental factors and changes in lifestyles, with greater sedentary and greater consumption of energy foods, worsen the cardiovascular profiles of migrants [69,70]. Migration from rural areas to urban areas, in fact, has been associated with incorrect lifestyles and behavior patterns, with an increase in the consumption of polyunsaturated fats and a reduction of saturated fats, complex carbohydrates and fibers, as well as a poor physical activity [27,71]. Also important is the role of particularly stressful jobs carried out by expatriate workers, with long shifts and night shifts that can alter biological cycles, such as glucose and lipid metabolism [72].…”