Body mass index and distribution of body fat in female Bosnian refugees—a study in primary health care

Between 1992 and 1996 more than one million refugees, mostly women, received asylum in the USA, Canada and Germany and about 47 000 of them sought refuge in Sweden. Little is known about their cardiovascular health. Using data from a cross-sectional study of a simple random sample of non-patients, female Bosnian refugees (n = 98) aged 18–59 and Swedish-born controls (n = 95) we examined six primary diet cardiovascular risk factors: S-triglycerides, S-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and sagittal diameter of the abdomen. Bosnian women aged 42–59 y had substantially higher levels of BMI, larger waist and sagittal diameter of the abdomen measurements, higher levels of S-triglycerides, and lower HDL cholesterol indicating a more disadvantaged diet (CVD risk profile) than Swedish women. Younger Bosnian women aged 18–41 y had a higher sagittal diameter of the abdomen and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than Swedish women. In conclusion this is the first study to report large differences in blood lipids, obesity and abdominal obesity after adjustment for socioeconomic status between Bosnian and Swedish women. These findings underscore the critical need to improve early detection obesity-related conditions in Bosnian women in exile.