title: Chronic Health Conditions, Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviors of Bhutanese Refugees: A Houston-Based Needs Assessment.
abstract: Bhutanese refugees resettling in the U.S. face many challenges including several related to health and health care. Limited health literacy and the relatively complicated US health care system may contribute to health disparities as well. A health assessment was conducted on adult refugees in Houston, Texas to provide healthcare providers, community organizations, and stakeholders baseline data to plan programs and interventions. A convenience sample of 100 participants had a mean age of 38.37 years, 56 % where males, and almost 80 % did not have high school level education. High blood pressure (27 %), dizziness (27 %), and arthritis (22 %) were the commonly identified chronic health conditions and trouble concentrating (34 %) and fatigue (37 %) were also reported. Sixty-two percent of the respondents reported that they consume recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and 41 %reported that they were currently getting at least 20-30 min of aerobic exercise per day. The assessment concluded with recommendations on how better provide care and services for the refugees.
authors.affiliation: Academic General Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 6621 Fannin, Suite A135, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.|Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sanghamitra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Services, City of Houston, 8000 North Stadium Drive, Houston, TX, 77054, USA.
authors.forename: Vishnu P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Nepal
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Services, City of Houston, 8000 North Stadium Drive, Houston, TX, 77054, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Academic General Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 6621 Fannin, Suite A135, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. apgiardi@texaschildrens.org.|Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA. apgiardi@texaschildrens.org.
authors.forename: Angelo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Giardino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000208:ethnology; D001631:Bhutan / Q000208:ethnology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004032:Diet; D004244:Dizziness / Q000208:ethnology; D015444:Exercise; D005221:Fatigue / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Bhutanese; Needs assessment; Refugees