McDougal Lotus, Erikat Jeanine, Yusufi Homayra, Sahid Ramla, Streuli Samantha, Fielding-Miller Rebecca
Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA.
Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, San Diego, USA.
SSM Popul Health. 2022 Jun;18:101110. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101110. Epub 2022 Apr 30.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people worldwide, refugee communities are particularly vulnerable to the pandemic's social, economic and health impacts. This study assessed factors associated with increases in adverse community effects of COVID-19 in a refugee community in California.
This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey developed and administered as part of a participatory action research project by a refugee community organization in San Diego, California. Data was collected between September and November 2020 in a sample of refugee community members (n = 517). Multivariable Poisson regression models measured associations between sociodemographic and acculturation measures with seven adverse community effects overall and stratified by duration of residence in the United States. Adverse community effects included job/wage loss, bank/cash access barriers, food insecurity, school interruptions, household violence, substance misuse and poor mental health.
Refugee community members reported an average of 2.1 adverse community effects that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, with job/wage loss and poor mental health the most prevalent (84% and 49%). Characteristics associated with reporting increased numbers of adverse community effects included being younger, female, childless, not actively seeking employment, living in the US for six or more years and speaking English at home. Stratified analyses show that these associations were concentrated in refugees who had lived in the US for at least six years.
Refugee communities have experienced pervasive job losses and worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these effects are concentrated in respondents who have lived in the US for six or more years. Additional targeted support is needed to ensure that refugees who have lived in the US for longer durations have the financial and social support needed to cope with the unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
虽然新冠疫情已对全球人民产生影响，但难民群体尤其容易受到疫情带来的社会、经济和健康影响。本研究评估了加利福尼亚州一个难民社区中与新冠疫情负面社区影响增加相关的因素。
本研究使用了一项横断面调查的数据，该调查是由加利福尼亚州圣地亚哥的一个难民社区组织开展并实施的参与式行动研究项目的一部分。2020年9月至11月期间，对难民社区成员样本（n = 517）进行了数据收集。多变量泊松回归模型测量了社会人口统计学和文化适应指标与总体七种负面社区影响之间的关联，并按在美国的居住时间进行分层。负面社区影响包括工作/工资损失、银行/现金获取障碍、粮食不安全、学校中断、家庭暴力、药物滥用和心理健康不佳。
难民社区成员报告称，在新冠疫情期间，平均每人有2.1种负面社区影响加剧，其中工作/工资损失和心理健康不佳最为普遍（分别为84%和49%）。与报告负面社区影响数量增加相关的特征包括年龄较小、女性、无子女、未积极求职、在美国居住六年或更长时间以及在家说英语。分层分析表明，这些关联集中在在美国居住至少六年的难民中。
在新冠疫情期间，难民群体经历了普遍的失业和心理健康恶化，这些影响集中在在美国居住六年或更长时间的受访者中。需要额外的针对性支持，以确保在美国居住时间较长的难民获得应对新冠疫情带来的前所未有的挑战所需的经济和社会支持。
