Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study
Malnutrition and poor health are common among recently resettled refugees and may be differentially associated with pre-migration exposure to refugee camp versus non-camp dwelling. We aimed to investigate the associations of iron deficiency (ID), anemia, and ID anemia (IDA) with pre-migration refuge...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9754286/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1798003894109863936 |
|---|---|
| author | Marta B. Davidson Garielle Brown Lesley Street Kerry McBrien Eric Norrie Andrea Hull Rachel Talavlikar Linda Holdbrook Gabriel E. Fabreau |
| author_facet | Marta B. Davidson Garielle Brown Lesley Street Kerry McBrien Eric Norrie Andrea Hull Rachel Talavlikar Linda Holdbrook Gabriel E. Fabreau |
| author_sort | Marta B. Davidson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Malnutrition and poor health are common among recently resettled refugees and may be differentially associated with pre-migration exposure to refugee camp versus non-camp dwelling. We aimed to investigate the associations of iron deficiency (ID), anemia, and ID anemia (IDA) with pre-migration refugee camp exposure among recently arrived refugees to Canada. To this end, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1032 adult refugees who received care between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, within a specialized refugee health clinic in Calgary, Canada. We evaluated the prevalence, severity, and predictors of ID, anemia, and IDA, stratified by sex. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated the association of refugee camp exposure with these outcomes, adjusting for age, months in Canada prior to investigations, global region of origin, and parity. Among female refugees, the prevalence of ID, anemia, and IDA was 25% (134/534), 21% (110/534), and 14% (76/534), respectively; among males, 0.8% (4/494), 1.8% (9/494), and 0% (0/494), respectively. Anemia was mild, moderate, and severe in 55% (60/110), 44% (48/110) and 1.8% (2/110) of anemic females. Refugee camp exposure was not associated with ID, anemia, or IDA while age by year (ID OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.98; anemia OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–1.00; IDA OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99) and months in Canada prior to investigations (ID OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.72–1.01; anemia OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.67–0.97; IDA OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.64–1.00) were inversely correlated with these outcomes. ID, anemia, and IDA are common among recently arrived refugee women irrespective of refugee camp exposure. Our findings suggest these outcomes likely improve after resettlement; however, given proportionally few refugees are resettled globally, likely millions of refugee women and girls are affected. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:16:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-870cb2654c954e5f89854965c61270b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:16:16Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-870cb2654c954e5f89854965c61270b52022-12-22T04:24:19ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011712Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort studyMarta B. DavidsonGarielle BrownLesley StreetKerry McBrienEric NorrieAndrea HullRachel TalavlikarLinda HoldbrookGabriel E. FabreauMalnutrition and poor health are common among recently resettled refugees and may be differentially associated with pre-migration exposure to refugee camp versus non-camp dwelling. We aimed to investigate the associations of iron deficiency (ID), anemia, and ID anemia (IDA) with pre-migration refugee camp exposure among recently arrived refugees to Canada. To this end, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1032 adult refugees who received care between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, within a specialized refugee health clinic in Calgary, Canada. We evaluated the prevalence, severity, and predictors of ID, anemia, and IDA, stratified by sex. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated the association of refugee camp exposure with these outcomes, adjusting for age, months in Canada prior to investigations, global region of origin, and parity. Among female refugees, the prevalence of ID, anemia, and IDA was 25% (134/534), 21% (110/534), and 14% (76/534), respectively; among males, 0.8% (4/494), 1.8% (9/494), and 0% (0/494), respectively. Anemia was mild, moderate, and severe in 55% (60/110), 44% (48/110) and 1.8% (2/110) of anemic females. Refugee camp exposure was not associated with ID, anemia, or IDA while age by year (ID OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.98; anemia OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–1.00; IDA OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99) and months in Canada prior to investigations (ID OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.72–1.01; anemia OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.67–0.97; IDA OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.64–1.00) were inversely correlated with these outcomes. ID, anemia, and IDA are common among recently arrived refugee women irrespective of refugee camp exposure. Our findings suggest these outcomes likely improve after resettlement; however, given proportionally few refugees are resettled globally, likely millions of refugee women and girls are affected.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9754286/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Marta B. Davidson Garielle Brown Lesley Street Kerry McBrien Eric Norrie Andrea Hull Rachel Talavlikar Linda Holdbrook Gabriel E. Fabreau Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study PLoS ONE |
| title | Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study |
| title_full | Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study |
| title_fullStr | Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study |
| title_short | Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study |
| title_sort | iron deficiency anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees a canadian retrospective cohort study |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9754286/?tool=EBI |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT martabdavidson irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT gariellebrown irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT lesleystreet irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT kerrymcbrien irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT ericnorrie irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT andreahull irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT racheltalavlikar irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT lindaholdbrook irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy AT gabrielefabreau irondeficiencyanemiaandassociationwithrefugeecampexposureamongrecentlyresettledrefugeesacanadianretrospectivecohortstudy |