Are immigrants at risk of heart disease in Australia? A systematic review

Abstract

We systematically reviewed the peer-reviewed literature to establish the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among immigrants in Australia and whether being an immigrant is a CVD risk factor. Of 23 studies identified, 12 were included. Higher prevalence of CVD was found among Middle Eastern, South Asian and some European immigrants. Higher prevalence of CVD risk factors was found among Middle Eastern and Southern European immigrants. Higher alcohol consumption was found among immigrants from New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Smoking and physical inactivity were highly preva- THE OVERALL PREVALENCE, morbidity, mortality and risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) 1 vary among ethnic groups due to a range of factors. 2,3 These factors include subgroup of origin, birthplace, age, socioeconomic status, education, culture, and genetic composition. 4 In addition, fluency in English and job and life satisfaction in Australia have also been associated with CVD risk. 5 Previous international literature on the relationship between patterns of CVD and immigrant subgroup has explored the prevalence of CVD morbidity, mortality and risk factors among migrants from a range of countries and regions/continents such as Japan,

Cultural Understanding of Health and Adjustment to Cardiovascular Disease among the Greek Elderly

“…Dassanayake et al (2009) studied the prevalence of CVD in immigrant groups in Australia. Their findings suggested that CVD is highest among communities originating in the Middle East and southern European.…”

An exploration of dietary practices among South Indians in Brisbane, Australia

“…States (Misra and Ganda, 2007), South Asian communities in Europe (Holmboe-Otteson and Wandel, 2012) and the United Kingdom (Anderson et al, 2005;Bradby 2002a) , and among African (Renzaho,2007) and other migrant communities (Dassanayake et al, 2009) in Australia, most of them showing an increased risk of developing obesity and related conditions post-migration, and are described at greater length below.…”

“…The prevalence of NCDs, especially T2DM is often higher among South Asian migrants than among the host population, as well as other migrant communities (Misra & Khurana, 2011). Migrants from South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and India who live in the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada and the United States are identified as being particularly susceptible to obesity-related chronic diseases, particularly T2DM and CHD (Anderson et al, 2005;Bhopal, 2009;Dassanayake et al, 2009;De Maio, 2010;Gilbert & Khokhar, 2008;Harding, 2003;Holmboe-Ottesen & Wandel, 2012;Johansen et al, 2009;Wandel et al, 2008). Their diet has been examined as a possible factor responsible for the increased prevalence of these conditions.…”

“…This presents an opportunity to provide a model aimed at promoting health and preventing or delaying the onset of disease among migrants rather than focusing on control and treatment. Given the high incidence of diet-related chronic disease burden among migrants from many countries, this study of the processes and dynamics of dietary change has implications for the development of culturally competent food and nutrition policies and programs (Dassanayake, Dharmage, Gurrin, Sundararajan, & Payne, 2009;Lirojwong & Meanderson, 1999;Renzaho, 2007) and can be used to inform public health policy for CALD communities in Australia.…”

The association between ethnicity and delay in seeking medical care for chest pain

“…[34][35][36][37] Previous studies have demonstrated that there were differences in prevalence, incidence, occurrence, risk factors and mortality rate of acute coronary syndromes amongst culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations. [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] Unfortunately, the majority of studies on delay in seeking medical care for chest pain have focused on majority populations who share the same culture, language, and beliefs in the same social and environmental context. 18,22,26,47,48 There are only a few studies which provide evidence in regards to the delay in responding to chest pain among differing ethnic groups, particularly CALD groups.…”