title: Noninfectious disease among the Bhutanese refugee population at a United States urban clinic.
abstract: A large number of Bhutanese are currently being resettled to the United States. A high prevalence of noninfectious diseases has been noted in some refugee groups, but data on the Bhutanese refugee population are lacking. A retrospective, chart review study was conducted to determine proportion of noninfectious disease among ethnically Nepali Bhutanese refugees (n = 66) seen at the Grady Refugee Clinic (GRC). GRC disease proportions included the following: 52 % of the patients were overweight/obese (n = 34), 23 % were hypertensive (n = 15), 12 % had vitamin B(12) deficiency (n = 8), 15 % had depression (n = 10), and 14 % had diabetes (n = 9). Nine (90 %) patients with depression had chronic disease compared to 30 (54 %) of the patients without depression. The study found a substantial burden of chronic disease, micronutrient deficiency, and depression in the GRC. Further research is needed to accurately describe the disease burden in refugee populations and to evaluate pre-resettlement disease prevention strategies to provide a framework for future public health interventions.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Emory University, 49 Jesse Hill Junior Drive, Suite 403, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
authors: Gayathri S
authors: GS
authors: Kumar
authors: Selina
authors: S
authors: Varma
authors: Michael S
authors: MS
authors: Saenger
authors: Molly
authors: M
authors: Burleson
authors: Brandon A
authors: BA
authors: Kohrt
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Cantey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001631:Bhutan / Q000208:ethnology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult