Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Kalfarveien 31, 5018, Bergen, Norway.
Unit for Migration and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
BMC Public Health. 2020 Mar 17;20(1):341. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-8376-7.
The health of forcibly displaced individuals changes along their migration path and estimates of disease burden are essential to develop health care policies and practices adequately corresponding to their health care needs. This study aims to describe the health status and use of medication among Syrian refugees in two different migration phases: in a transit setting and in a recipient country. Further, we aim to investigate the associations between migration related exposures and both chronic pain and mental health among Syrian refugees.
This is a cross-sectional study based on survey data collected among 827 adult Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Norway during 2017-2018. The survey instrument included items measuring somatic status (including chronic pain), mental health (using the HSCL-10 and HTQ items), use of medication and migration related exposures. We used descriptive statistics to calculate standardised prevalence proportions and regression analyses to study associations between migration related exposures and health outcomes.
The response rate was 85%. The mean age in the sample was 33 years and 41% were women. Half of the participants reported that they had never had any health problems. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases was 12%. Headache and musculoskeletal complaints were the most prevalent conditions reported, with 30% reporting chronic pain lasting for more than six months. Symptoms indicating anxiety and/or depression were presented by 35%, while 7% revealed symptoms compatible with post-traumatic stress disorder. Among those reporting non-communicable diseases a substantial share did not seem to receive adequate treatment. Trauma experiences were associated with both chronic pain and anxiety/depression symptoms, and the latter were also associated with migrating without family members.
Migrant-friendly public health policies and practises should acknowledge migration related risks, address discontinuity in care of chronic conditions and target common complaints such as chronic pain and mental health problems among forcibly displaced individuals.
被迫流离失所者的健康状况会在其迁移过程中发生变化，对疾病负担进行评估对于制定充分满足其医疗保健需求的卫生保健政策和实践至关重要。本研究旨在描述叙利亚难民在两种不同迁移阶段的健康状况和用药情况：过境阶段和接收国阶段。此外，我们旨在调查与迁移相关的暴露因素与叙利亚难民的慢性疼痛和心理健康之间的关联。
这是一项基于 2017-2018 年在黎巴嫩和挪威收集的 827 名成年叙利亚难民的调查数据的横断面研究。调查工具包括衡量身体状况（包括慢性疼痛）、心理健康（使用 HSCL-10 和 HTQ 项目）、用药和与迁移相关的暴露因素的项目。我们使用描述性统计来计算标准化流行率比例，并进行回归分析以研究与迁移相关的暴露因素与健康结果之间的关联。
应答率为 85%。样本的平均年龄为 33 岁，41%为女性。一半的参与者表示他们从未有过任何健康问题。非传染性疾病的患病率为 12%。头痛和肌肉骨骼投诉是报告最常见的疾病，30%报告慢性疼痛持续超过六个月。有 35%出现表明焦虑和/或抑郁的症状，而 7%出现与创伤后应激障碍相符的症状。在报告非传染性疾病的人群中，相当一部分人似乎没有得到充分的治疗。创伤经历与慢性疼痛和焦虑/抑郁症状有关，后者也与没有家庭成员一起迁移有关。
对移民友好的公共卫生政策和实践应认识到与迁移相关的风险，解决慢性疾病护理的不连续性，并针对被迫流离失所者的常见投诉，如慢性疼痛和心理健康问题。
