Health screening results of Cubans settling in Texas, USA, 2010–2015: A cross-sectional analysis

• Published in: PLoS medicine Vol. 17; no. 8; p. e1003233
• Main Authors: Seagle, Emma E., Montour, Jessica, Lee, Deborah, Phares, Christina, Jentes, Emily S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 01-08-2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Anemia; Antibodies; Blood pressure; Body mass index; Cross-sectional studies; Data collection; Demography; Disease control; Eosinophilia; Hematocrit; Hemoglobin; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis C; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Infections; Medical laboratories; Medical personnel; Medical screening; Medicine and Health Sciences; People and Places; Public health; Refugees; Skin tests; Syphilis; Tuberculin; Tuberculosis; γ-Interferon; Cuba; Mexico; Florida; United States > US; Texas
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003233
• EISSN: 1549-1676
• ISSN: 1549-1676; 1549-1277

Introduction Protecting the health of refugee and other migrant populations arriving to the US is key to ensuring successful resettlement. [...]because these populations often have differing health patterns than those living in the US, the collection and analysis of health information is key to developing targeted clinical guidelines and interventions to assist US clinicians and public health professionals. According to the Cuban Haitian Entrant Program (1980–2017) policies, all parolees regardless of entry route were eligible to apply for refugee benefits/services, including Refugee Medical Assistance (8 months of health insurance), administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement [5]. Methods Participants and data collection We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) database, examining differences in health status at the voluntary initial domestic (after US arrival) medical examinations among Cubans paroled at the border and those who obtained refugee/parolee status in Cuba. Demographics and health measures Demographic data and health variables collected during the domestic medical examination included sex; age; body mass index (BMI, calculated using weight and height); blood pressure; hemoglobin and hematocrit results (to identify potential for anemia); blood lead level (BLL); laboratory screening results for hepatitis B (serologic testing of hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B surface antibody, and total hepatitis B core antibody), hepatitis C (antibody test), HIV infection, and eosinophilia; and screening for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection by tuberculin skin test (TST) and/or interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA).