The health status of newly arrived Syrian refugees at the Refugee Health Service, South Australia, 2016

Background and objectives Prior to the armed conflict, Syria had undergone an epidemiologic transition in disease burden from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Therefore, it is likely that the health status of Syrian refugees would be different from other refugee cohorts. The aim of this study was to describe the health status of Syrian refugees seen at the Refugee Health Service in South Australia in 2016. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected from medical records. Variables included diseases, nutritional deficiencies, non-communicable diseases, mental illness and distress, and physical disabilities. Results The results of the study identified a relatively young cohort with large families. The prevalence of infectious diseases was low (< 10%), whereas there was a high prevalence of vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies. The rates of chronic disease in adults were high, as were the chronic disease risk factors (overweight/obesity and smoking). In the adult population, 26.9% reported symptoms such as anxiety, depressed mood and poor sleep. Discussion The findings are consistent with the transitioning burden of communicable to non-communicable disease and chronic diseases in the Syrian population. The study reinforces the importance of comprehensive health screening for new arrival refugees. A validated mental health screening tool was not used, and this requires further research.