Chronic Disease Burden Among Bhutanese Refugee Women Aged 18-65 Years Resettled in Northeast Ohio, United States, 2008-2011

Abstract

The purpose of this community-based study was to assess the prevalence of chronic diseases among 18-65 year old Bhutanese refugee women resettled in Northeast Ohio, United States (US). A Nepali-language questionnaire was administered in a face-to-face mode. Anthropometric measurements included height, weight, and hip and waist circumferences. The overall prevalence (95 % confidence interval) of self-reported hypertension, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and cancer were 15.3 % (9.2-23.4), 6.4 % (2.3-10.9), 5.5 % (2.0-11.5), 2.7 % (0.6-7.8), and 1.8 % (0.2-6.4), respectively. Overweight/obesity was observed in 64.8 % of the women; 69.5 and 74.1 % had waist circumference >80 cm and waist-to-hip ratio ≥85, respectively. Length of time in the US was not associated with the prevalence of the chronic conditions. This study suggests chronic conditions may be significant health issues among US resettled Bhutanese refugees and a larger population-based study to confirm the findings is warranted.