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. 2023 Jul 10;18(7):e0288375.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288375. eCollection 2023.

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

Pratibha Bhandari  1
Affiliations

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

Pratibha Bhandari. PLoS One. .

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flow diagram depicting the study process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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