Stunting and overweight prevalence among resettled Yazidi, Syrian, and Iraqi pediatric refugees

Abstract

Pediatric refugees face diverse health issues, including growth abnormalities, that can have serious long-term adverse health consequences for cognition, bone health, blood pressure, and more. In 2014, the terrorist group Daesh committed genocide against Yazidis, an ethnic and religious minority group in Iraq and Syria, displacing an estimated 200 000 people. The Canadian government resettled approximately 1500 Yazidi refugees between 2016 and 2017, prioritizing previously enslaved women and children. Many Yazidi children endured violence and prolonged starvation, yet the prevalence of growth abnormalities among them is unknown. We assessed growth indicators for resettled Yazidi and non–Yazidi pediatric refugees from Syria and Iraq.

Authors: Roopa Suppiah,Erin Hetherington,Rabina Grewal,Ada Ip-Buting,Gabriel E. Fabreau Publication Date: 2/1/2023

Publication Type: Journal Article

URL:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4782

Notes

Open access: No

Location: Calgary, AB

Community organizations: n/a

Integration timeline: not defined

Key populations: Yazidi refugees 17 years old or younger, with a sex-matched control group of non-Yazidi pediatric refugees from Iraq or Syria

Future research / gaps identified: Results are not generalizable as this study used a small sample size that was specific to 1 clinic in Calgary.

Key findings:

1) Overall, 70 patients (12.5%) from both the Yazidi and non-Yazidi cohorts had stunted outcomes.

2) The Yazidi cohort more frequently had stunted outcomes than the comparison cohort.

3) A total of 115 patients (20.5%) from both cohorts had overweight or obese outcomes.

4) The Yazidi cohort had less overweight or obese outcomes than the comparison cohort.

5) There was no effect modification by age or sex.

Key recommendations: n/a

Research Library

Stunting and overweight prevalence among resettled Yazidi, Syrian, and Iraqi pediatric refugees

Abstract