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Pregnancy-Related Hypertensive Disorders and Immigrant Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Epidemiological Studies

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Abstract

Immigrants are often considered a vulnerable population. Paradoxically, some researchers have reported lower risk of pregnancy-related hypertension (PRH) among immigrants when compared to their non-immigrant counterparts. The lack of consistency and the absence of a synthesis of studies investigating the associations between immigration status and PRH represent a gap in our understanding of socioecological roots of PRH. Of studies published in during the study period, 16 met the inclusion criteria. For each study, we computed relative risks that compared PRH risk by migrant status. The pooled estimate of the relative risk of PRH represented a statistically significantly lower risk among immigrants (RR = 0.74; 95 % CI 0.67, 0.82). The body of evidence indicates that immigrant status is generally associated with reduced risk of PRH. However the strength of this association could vary by country of origin of immigrants.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by internal funding from the Department of Women Children and Family Health Science, College of Nursing at University of Illinois at Chicago. This work represents the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of their respective institutions.

Author Contributions

MFM, AAS-M, and JLS designed the study, conducted the article search/selection and analysis; MFM, AAS-M, and IMM interpreted the results and wrote the manuscript; MFM, AAS-M, JLS, IMM, and HMS Contributed to the discussion and reviewed/edited the manuscript; and all authors approve the final draft being submitted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Women Children and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA

    Mulubrhan F. Mogos

  2. Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Abraham A. Salinas-Miranda

  3. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Jason L. Salemi & Hamisu M. Salihu

  4. Familias Unidas International, Inc., Miami, FL, USA

    Imelda M. Medina

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  1. Mulubrhan F. Mogos
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  2. Abraham A. Salinas-Miranda
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  5. Hamisu M. Salihu
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Correspondence to Mulubrhan F. Mogos.

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Mogos, M.F., Salinas-Miranda, A.A., Salemi, J.L. et al. Pregnancy-Related Hypertensive Disorders and Immigrant Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Epidemiological Studies. J Immigrant Minority Health 19, 1488–1497 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0410-6

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