Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among Asian migrant workers in South Korea

Abstract

Background: The burden of non-communicable diseases is rapidly increasing among young adults in middle- and low-income countries. Asian migrant workers continue to be a significant contributor to South Korea's economy; however, their cardiovascular health is neglected. We explored the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among Asian migrant workers in South Korea.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurements, and biochemical tests including triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, and C-reactive protein levels were conducted in 141 Asian migrant workers in South Korea.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 31.3 (5.6) years. Of the participants, 14.8% were current smokers, and 47.5% consumed alcohol. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 32.4%. The prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia were 51.2% and 64.6%, respectively. Of the participants, 98.5% had an increased waist circumference; elevated HbA1C and C-reactive protein was seen in 20.9% and 4.3%, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 5.5%. Clustering of two or more risk factors was seen in 45% of the participants. Factors associated with a high risk of cardiovascular diseases (clustering of two or more risk factors) were age (odds ratio 1.16, p < 0.01) and smoking (4.98, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was alarmingly high among Asian migrant workers employed in South Korea. Efforts to mitigate and eliminate those risk factors are urgently required.

Fig 1. Flow diagram depicting the study process.