title: Pediatric refugees in Rhode Island: increases in BMI percentile, overweight, and obesity following resettlement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate BMI change among pediatric refugees resettling in Providence, RI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of pediatric refugees from the initial evaluation to year 3 post-resettlement at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Primary outcome of interest was within person change in BMI percentile at each time point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2007-2012, 181 children visited the clinic. Initial prevalence of overweight and obesity was 14.1% and 3.2% versus 22.8% and 12.6% at year 3. From visit 1 and years 1-3, there was a positive mean within person change in BMI percentile of 12.9% (95% CI 6.3-19.6%s), 16.6% (95% CI 11.2-21.9%), and 14.4% (95% CI 9.1-19.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 17.3% at initial intake to 35.4% at 3 years post-resettlement to surpass that of American children (31.7-31.8% for 2007-2012). Refugee children have additional risk factors for obesity; multidisciplinary interventions must be designed to address nutrition at each visit.
authors.affiliation: Resident in the Department of Family Medicine, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket, RI.
authors.forename: Jessica H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heney
authors.affiliation: Resident in the Department of Family Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME.
authors.forename: Camia C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Dimock
authors.affiliation: Center for International Health Research at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, RI, and is Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
authors.forename: Jennifer F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: Director, Refugee Health Program, Fostering Health Program, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, RI, and is Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Cli.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: BMI; child; obesity; overweight; pediatric; refugee; weight