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- Koochek, Afsaneh, et al.
(author)
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Dietary differences between elderly Iranians living in Sweden and Iran a cross-sectional comparative study
- 2011
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In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 11, s. 411-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: During the last decades, global migration has increased and many immigrant groups have a higher prevalence than the native born population of several cardiovascular disease risk factors, including poor dietary habits. However, it is uncertain if dietary habits in immigrant populations reflect dietary habits in their country of origin or if the current diet is a consequence of the migration and possible change of dietary habits. The aim of this study was to examine possible dietary differences between elderly Iranians living in Stockholm, Sweden with elderly Iranians living in Tehran, Iran, taking into account sex, age, marital status, and education. Methods: Dietary intakes were assessed by semi - quantitative food frequency questionnaire in a cross-sectional study of 121 Iranians living in Stockholm and 52 Iranians living in Tehran, aged 60-80. Differences in dietary habits between the two groups was analysed by bootstrapped regression analyses with 1000 replications. Results: Iranians living in Sweden had significantly higher intake of protein, total fat, fiber than Iranians living in Iran, but lower consumption of carbohydrates. The observed differences in intake of macronutrients were reflected in consumed amount of all food items, which were higher among Iranians living in Iran with the exception of bread and grain consumption which was lower. Conclusions: There are general differences in dietary habits between Iranians living in Iran and Iranians living in Sweden. Parts of observed differences in dietary habits may reflect a favourable adoption process to the Swedish dietary habits after migration. Meanwhile other differences are point of concern in light of the high prevalence of overweight, among Iranians living in Sweden and can have unfavourable impact in particular in the context of cardiovascular health.
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| 2. |
- Koochek, Afsaneh, et al.
(author)
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Is migration to Sweden associated with increased prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease?
- 2008
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In: European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation. - : Sage Publications. - 1741-8267 .- 1741-8275. ; 15:1, s. 78-82
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: [corrected] The proportion of elderly immigrants in Sweden is increasing. This is an important issue considering that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global health problem and that CVD is one of the main causes of morbidity among the elderly. The aim of this study is to analyze whether there is an association between migration status, that is being an elderly Iranian immigrant in Sweden, as compared with being an elderly Iranian in Iran, and the prevalence of risk factors for CVD. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study with face-to-face interviews. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A total of 176 Iranians in Stockholm and 300 Iranians in Tehran, aged 60-84 years. METHODS: The prevalence of general obesity, abdominal obesity, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes was determined. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for outcomes. RESULTS: The age-adjusted risk of hypertension and smoking was higher in Iranian women and men in Sweden. OR for hypertension was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1-3.2) for women and 3.1 (95% CI: 1.5-6.3) for men and OR for smoking was 6.9 (95% CI: 2.2-21.6) for women and 4.7 (95% CI: 2.0-11.0) for men. The higher risk for hypertension and smoking remained significant after accounting for age, socioeconomic status, and marital status. Abdominal obesity was found in nearly 80% of the women in both groups. CONCLUSION: The findings show a strong association between migration status and the prevalence of hypertension and smoking. Major recommendation for public health is increased awareness of CVD risk factors among elderly immigrants.
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