Stunting and Overweight Prevalence Among Resettled Yazidi, Syrian, and Iraqi Pediatric Refugees

Suppiah, Roopa; Hetherington, Erin; Grewal, Rabina; Ip-Buting, Ada; Fabreau, Gabriel

doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4782

Cited by 1 publication

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“…These health conditions reflected the poor living conditions Yazidis experienced in captivity and before resettlement, which included lack of sanitation, food, clean water, and/or health care. While malnutrition is common among refugees, we observed a higher prevalence of anemia among adolescents and a higher prevalence of dental caries among children compared with previous studies . The cohort of the current study had a higher proportion of women and girls, which may explain these findings; however, Yazidi refugees’ experiences of forced starvation, nutritional restriction, and violent treatment during captivity are likely also important factors .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Sociodemographic Characteristics and Mental and Physical Health Diagnoses of Yazidi Refugees Who Survived the Daesh Genocide and Resettled in Canada

Hassan,

Coakley,

Al Masri

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceThe health status of Yazidi refugees, a group of ethnoreligious minority individuals from northern Iraq who resettled in Canada between 2017 and 2018 after experiencing genocide, displacement, and enslavement by the Islamic State (Daesh), is unknown but important to guide health care and future resettlement planning for Yazidi refugees and other genocide victims. In addition, resettled Yazidi refugees requested documentation of the health impacts of the Daesh genocide.ObjectiveTo characterize sociodemographic characteristics, mental and physical health conditions, and family separations among Yazidi refugees who resettled in Canada.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis retrospective clinician- and community-engaged cross-sectional study included 242 Yazidi refugees seen at a Canadian refugee clinic between February 24, 2017, and August 24, 2018. Sociodemographic and clinical diagnoses were extracted through review of electronic medical records. Two reviewers independently categorized patients’ diagnoses by International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes and ICD-10-CM chapter groups. Diagnosis frequencies were calculated and stratified by age group and sex. Five expert refugee clinicians used a modified Delphi approach to identify diagnoses likely to be associated with Daesh exposure, then corroborated these findings with Yazidi leader coinvestigators. A total of 12 patients without identified diagnoses during the study period were excluded from the analysis of health conditions. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2019, to November 30, 2022.Main Outcomes and MeasuresSociodemographic characteristics; exposure to Daesh captivity, torture, or violence (hereinafter, Daesh exposure); mental and physical health diagnoses; and family separations.ResultsAmong 242 Yazidi refugees, the median (IQR) age was 19.5 (10.0-30.0) years, and 141 (58.3%) were female. A total of 124 refugees (51.2%) had direct Daesh exposure, and 60 of 63 families (95.2%) experienced family separations after resettlement. Among 230 refugees included in the health conditions analysis, the most common clinical diagnoses were abdominal and pelvic pain (47 patients [20.4%]), iron deficiency (43 patients [18.7%]), anemia (36 patients [15.7%]), and posttraumatic stress disorder (33 patients [14.3%]). Frequently identified ICD-10-CM chapters were symptoms and signs (113 patients [49.1%]), nutritional diseases (86 patients [37.4%]), mental and behavioral disorders (77 patients [33.5%]), and infectious and parasitic diseases (72 patients [31.3%]). Clinicians identified mental health conditions (74 patients [32.2%]), suspected somatoform disorders (111 patients [48.3%]), and sexual and physical violence (26 patients [11.3%]) as likely to be associated with Daesh exposure.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cross-sectional study, Yazidi refugees who resettled in Canada after surviving the Daesh genocide experienced substantial trauma, complex mental and physical health conditions, and nearly universal family separations. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive health care, community engagement, and family reunification and may inform care for other refugees and genocide victims.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Sociodemographic Characteristics and Mental and Physical Health Diagnoses of Yazidi Refugees Who Survived the Daesh Genocide and Resettled in Canada

Hassan,

Coakley,

Al Masri

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Stunting and Overweight Prevalence Among Resettled Yazidi, Syrian, and Iraqi Pediatric Refugees

Abstract: This cohort study compares growth abnormalities between Yazidi and non–Yazidi pediatric refugees.

Cited by 1 publication

References 5 publications

Sociodemographic Characteristics and Mental and Physical Health Diagnoses of Yazidi Refugees Who Survived the Daesh Genocide and Resettled in Canada

Sociodemographic Characteristics and Mental and Physical Health Diagnoses of Yazidi Refugees Who Survived the Daesh Genocide and Resettled in Canada

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