Household food insecurity shows associations with food intake, social support utilization and dietary change among refugee adult caregivers resettled in the United States

Forced migration puts families at risk of household food insecurity and economic hardship. We administered a questionnaire to examine household food insecurity in a sample of 49 recently legally resettled Sudanese refugees with at least one child under age 3 years. Of households polled, 37% had experienced household food insecurity and 12% reported child hunger within the previous month. Increasing severity of household food insecurity was associated with decreased consumption of high-cost, high-nutrient-density food items and increased consumption of some low-cost traditional Sudanese foods by adult caregivers of young children. Furthermore, household food insecurity was associated with decreased household and per capita food expenditure, indicators of more limited dietary change with migration, and indicators of increased social support.

Determining TB rates and TB case burden for refugees

SETTING

DeKalb County, Georgia.

OBJECTIVES

To calculate and compare tuberculosis (TB) rates in refugees to US-born, total foreign-born (refugee and other), and other foreign-born persons and to determine the contribution of refugees to the county TB case burden.

METHODS

The study included: (1) collection of county TB case numbers and population figures from 1995 through 1999; (2) estimation of the refugee population; (3) comparison of TB rates; and (4) calculation of the refugee TB case burden. Sensitivity analysis was performed on refugee population estimates.

RESULTS

From 1995 through 1999, estimating that refugees made up 10% of the foreign-born population, the average TB rate for refugees was 83.2 per 100,000, compared with 12.7 for US-born persons. From 1997 through 1999, refugees had a seven-fold greater risk of having TB than US-born persons and a two-fold greater risk than other foreign-born persons. Refugees represented respectively 7.6% and 19.3% of the county and foreign-born TB case burdens. For TB rates to be equal among all foreign-born persons, refugees would need to make up 15-25% of the foreign-born population.

CONCLUSION

Despite overseas screening, refugees have high TB rates, and contribute substantially to the county TB case burden. Enhanced surveillance and targeted programs to address TB in refugees should be a public health priority.