Recorded presentation

Mary Johnson, MSc¹, Jerome Nriagu, PhD¹, Adnan Hammad, PhD², Hikmet J. Jamil, MD PhD FFOMI³, and Kathryn Savoie, PhD². (1) Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 109 Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-936-0706, Maryjz@umich.edu, (2) Community Health & Research Center, ACCESS, 6450 Maple Street, Dearborn, MI 48126, (3) Wayne State University Department of Family Medicine, ACCESS Community Health & Research Center, 6450 Maple Street, Dearborn, MI 48126

In the age of globalization and widespread global migration, it becomes crucial to understand the risk factors associated with transition to “Westernized” lifestyle. We conducted surveys of 600 Arab American households in metro Detroit to determine the relationship between acculturation and disease risk in an immigrant population transitioning from traditional to “Westernized” patterns of risk. Respondents were asked a battery of questions to assess: health status, exposure to environmental risk factors, degree of acculturation, health care access, and socioeconomic status. We developed an Environmental Risk Index (ERI) that was used to estimate an aggregate environmental risk for each household. This is the first study to explore the role of acculturation on disease burden among Arab Americans. Length of residence in the US was positively associated with overall burden of chronic health problems, and with specific health problems such as: allergies, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, chronic ear infections and chronic fatigue. Length of residence in the US was also positively associated with age, English fluency, health care access and utilization; and negatively associated with ERI score, suggesting that some of the association between length of residence in the U.S. and doctor diagnosed health problems can be explained by these underlying factors. However, the relationship between residence time in the U.S. and doctor diagnosed health problems was significant after adjusting for those factors. The negative association between ERI and length of U.S. residency suggests that social factors associated with length of residence in the U.S. play a more important role in many immigrant health problems than environmental factors.

Learning Objectives: Session participants will

• Gain a better understanding of the transition from traditional to “Westernized” patterns of risk that occurs among some immigrant populations and in rapidly urbanizing areas of the developing world. They will also be able to
  • Delineate the interaction between environmental and social risk factors in an urban population.
  • Identify risk factors in an immigrant population.
  • Characterize disease burden among Arab American immigrants in metro Detroit.

  Presenting author's disclosure statement:
  I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

  Recorded presentation

  Ensuring Adequate Services for Immigrants, Refugees and Displaced Persons

  The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA