Socio-Demographic and Dietary Factors Associated with Excess Body Weight and Abdominal Obesity among Resettled Bhutanese Refugee Women in Northeast Ohio, United States

Abstract

Studies of obesity and related health conditions among the Bhutanese, one of the largest refugee groups resettled in the United States in the past five years, are limited. This study examined the factors associated with excess body weight (body mass index ≥ 23 kg/m2) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference > 80 cm) in a community-based sample of 18–65 year old Bhutanese refugee women in Northeast Ohio. A Nepali-language questionnaire was used to measure socio-demographic and dietary factors. Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured to define excess body weight and abdominal obesity. The mean (±standard deviation) age of the 108 participants was 36.5 (±12.2) years and length of time in the U.S. was 19.4 (±11.9) months. Overall, 64.8% and 69.4% of the women had excess body weight and abdominal obesity, respectively. Age was significantly associated with both excess body weight (odds ratio: 1.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.05–1.16) and abdominal obesity (1.09; 1.04–1.14). Consuming meat (4.01; 1.14–14.60) was significantly associated with excess body weight but not abdominal obesity. These findings suggest the need for lifestyle and dietary change education programs among this new and vulnerable group to reduce the prevalence of excess body weight and abdominal obesity and their health consequences.

A Systematic Examination of Food Intake and Adaptation to the Food Environment by Refugees Settled in the United States

“…2 Subject to past or current food insecurity. 3 Subject to child hunger. 4 Subject to acculturation or length of stay in United States or education level.…”

“…Except for one intervention study (20,21), all were cross-sectional studies. 3 Purposive sampling: a nonrepresentative subset of some larger population under very specific characteristics or purpose. ).…”

“…Research indicates that US refugees have elevated rates of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, malnutrition, and anemia (3)(4)(5), compared with US-born residents or first-generation immigrants (6). Rates of chronic diseases vary within and across refugee groups by sex, region of origin, and length of stay in the United States (7)(8)(9).…”

Forced international migration for refugee food: a scoping review

“…This category encompassed 9 studies 12,13,15,[17][18][19]22,24,26 which provided perspectives on feeding and adaptation of the refugee population to new food crops in camps and settlements. Resettlement in the refugee country presents new realities to refugee families, such as exposure to new eating habits, acquisition of food of low cost and nutritional quality, new habits of living, practice of sedentary activities such as watching television, playing video games and using computers.…”

“…But they tend to adapt this knowledge in the new country of residence. It also points out that acculturation is associated with changes in dietary pattern, to a less healthy pattern 15,18 .…”