The Cardiometabolic Health of African Immigrants in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Danielle Mensah, Oluwabunmi Ogungbe, Ruth-Alma N. Turkson-Ocran, Chioma Onuoha, Samuel Byiringiro, Nwakaego A. Nmezi, Ivy Mannoh, Elisheva Wecker, Ednah N. Madu and Yvonne Commodore-Mensah
Additional contact information
Danielle Mensah: College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
Oluwabunmi Ogungbe: School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Ruth-Alma N. Turkson-Ocran: General Medicine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Chioma Onuoha: School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
Samuel Byiringiro: School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Nwakaego A. Nmezi: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Ivy Mannoh: School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Elisheva Wecker: School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Ednah N. Madu: College of Nursing and Public Health, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
Yvonne Commodore-Mensah: School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: In recent decades, the number of African immigrants in high-income countries (HICs) has increased significantly. However, the cardiometabolic health of this population remains poorly examined. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to examine the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors among sub-Saharan African immigrants residing in HICs. Studies were identified through searches in electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science up to July 2021. Data on the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors were extracted and synthesized in a narrative format, and a meta-analysis of pooled proportions was also conducted. Of 8655 unique records, 35 articles that reported data on the specific African countries of origin of African immigrants were included in the review. We observed heterogeneity in the burden of cardiometabolic risk factors by African country of origin and HIC. The most prevalent risk factors were hypertension (27%, range: 6–55%), overweight/obesity (59%, range: 13–91%), and dyslipidemia (29%, range: 11–77.2%). The pooled prevalence of diabetes was 11% (range: 5–17%), and 7% (range: 0.7–14.8%) for smoking. Few studies examined kidney disease, hyperlipidemia, and diagnosed cardiometabolic disease. Policy changes and effective interventions are needed to improve the cardiometabolic health of African immigrants, improve care access and utilization, and advance health equity.

Keywords: cardiovascular risk factors; African ancestry group; immigrants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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