title: Obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure amongst recently arrived Sudanese refugees in Queensland, Australia.
abstract: The study assessed the prevalence of obesity and related conditions among Sudanese adult migrants living in Brisbane, Australia. Data were obtained on 314 Sudanese immigrants aged 18-70 years. Measured body mass index (BMI) and self-reported diabetes and hypertension were obtained. More than half (51%) of participants were overweight or obese, 6.4% reported having type 2 diabetes while 12.4% had hypertension. The full adjusted regression model explained 28.1% of the variance in BMI. Odds of reporting type 2 diabetes increased with age, BMI and were greater among participants rating health as poor/fair than those rating as good/very good/excellent. Odds of high blood pressure increased with age, BMI, and were higher among participants rating health as poor/fair than those as good/very good/excellent. Health promotion programs to prevent weight gain in this subpopulation will significantly reduce inequalities related to type 2 diabetes and improve cardio-vascular outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Migration, Social Disadvantage, and Health Programs, International Public Health Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 3, Burnet Building, 89 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia, andre.renzaho@monash.edu.
authors.forename: A M N
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Renzaho
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bilal
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012036:Refugees; D012923:Social Class; D013397:Sudan / Q000208:ethnology