A Scoping Review of the Health of African Immigrant and Refugee Children

Abstract

Migration is a growing phenomenon around the world, including within the African continent. Many migrants, especially African children, face challenges related to health and social inclusion and can face increased health risks. A systematic scoping review of available literature on the health of African migrant children across the globe was conducted to offer insight into these health risks. The review was conducted over a 15-month period from January 2019 to April 2020, yielding 6602 articles once duplicates were removed. This search included electronic databases, reference lists of articles reviewed, and searches of libraries of relevant organisations. A total of 187 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 159 were quantitative, 22 were qualitative, and 6 used mixed methods. The findings reveal decreased health in this population in areas of nutrition, infectious diseases, mental health, birth outcomes, sexual and reproductive health, physical and developmental health, parasitic infections, oral health, respiratory health, preventative health, endocrine disorders, health care services, and haematological conditions. The findings offer insights into factors influencing the health of African immigrant and refugee children. Further studies, especially qualitative studies, are needed to determine barriers to service access after migration and to investigate other underexplored and overlooked health concerns of African migrant children, including pneumonia and child maltreatment.

Immigrant child health in Canada: a scoping review

“…Our review thus fills a gap in knowledge by providing a comprehensive synthesis of the extant literature and outlining key findings about the physical health, mental health and social well-being of immigrant children in Canada. Our findings are consistent with recent reviews which emphasise interacting microfactors, mesofactors and macrofactors that impact the health of immigrant children in Canada 89–92. The interplay of diverse factors that improve, support or worsen the health of immigrant children stress the importance of attending to this population with multicomponent approaches that acknowledge their needs, strengths and unique experiences.…”

Family Planning Research in African Immigrant and Refugee Women: A Scoping Review

“…Lack of appropriate and adequate health information, a lack of interpreters, and poorly timed communication have been cited as barriers to contraceptive use (Gele & Harsløf, 2012). Also, the perceived high cost and perceived side effects of contraceptives may impede contraceptive utilization, leading to low use (Salami et al, 2021). Variation in sociocultural practices also makes access to family planning services challenging for African immigrants and refugees.…”

“…Variation in sociocultural practices also makes access to family planning services challenging for African immigrants and refugees. Differences in religion, social norms, and the opinion of male partners were also noted as barriers to accessing family planning services (Mbanya et al, 2019; Salami et al, 2021).…”

Psychosocial and Sociodemographic Determinants Related to Chronic Diseases in Immigrants Residing in Spain

“…Suglia et al (2021) observed a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk in Hispanic/Latino and African American groups, as well as higher rates of poverty and social stress compared to the non-Hispanic population in the US [ 18 ], thus highlighting the importance of considering social factors involved in these relations. A systematic review by Salami et al (2021) analyzed migration within the African continent and found that minor African immigrants and refugees experience higher health problems linked to social factors such as lack of social inclusion or access to health care services [ 19 ]. These studies conclude, in general terms, that it is necessary to identify which psychosocial and sociodemographic factors can have an impact on immigrants’ health in order to improve programs and healthcare provided to immigrants by institutions.…”