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Neighborhood Environment Has a Profound Association With Refugees’ Health

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  • Neighborhood Environment Has a Profound Association With Refugees’ Health

    August 21, 2020

    JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(8):e2014355. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.14355

    Charles Agyemang, MPH, PhD1; Marie Norredam, MD, PhD2

    Economic hardship, wars, persecution, and human rights violations continue to force many people to flee their homes and seek safety in different lands. Many of these people face treacherous journeys and risk their lives in the process of seeking safety. In 2019, approximately 70.8 million people around the world were forced to flee their homes, including 25.9 million refugees; more than half of these refugees were children younger than 18 years of age.1According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2019, more than 63 311 people risked their lives trying to seek refuge in Europe by sea, and 1028 drowned while crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Many others died en route.2

    ... A systematic review and meta-analysis found prevalence rates of 44% for depression, 40% for anxiety, and 36% for posttraumatic stress order among refugees; these figures are far higher compared with those of other migrant groups, such as labor migrants.3 The limited evidence also suggests that some refugee populations have a high burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.4

    Although refugees are disproportionately affected by poor mental health3 and CVD,4 the evidence on the key specific factors driving their health disadvantages have not yet been well characterized.

    ... The study by Hamad et al suggests that government policies, such as dispersal policies, can influence migrants’ health. With rising new national immigration policies, there is a clear need for more research to evaluate the effect of these policies on migrants’ socioeconomic development and health outcomes. There is also a need for research on the pathways through which neighborhood deprivation is associated with the risk of CVD and risk factors among vulnerable populations including refugees, with a goal of assisting in public health prevention efforts. Finally, special attention from governments is required in developing policies that protect and promote refugees’ health and well-being.



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