The following is a summary of “Cardiovascular risk factors among Roma and non-Roma populations in underprivileged settlements,” published in the August 2024 issue of Primary Care by Andréka et al.

The ‘Taking the Screening Tests Close to the People’ program provides cardiovascular screening to individuals residing in underprivileged areas, including those identifying as Roma. This study aimed to assess cardiovascular risk factors among these populations, comparing data between Roma and non-Roma individuals.

Researchers collected participants’ demographic, lifestyle, and health-related information, including body weight, height, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose levels. A total of 6,211 participants were included in the analysis, comprising 5,352 non-Roma individuals (1,364 men, 25.5%; 3,988 women, 74.5%) and 859 Roma individuals (200 men, 23.3%; 659 women, 76.7%). Investigators employed Pearson’s chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression models to analyze factors contributing to comorbidities, focusing on ethnicity.

The results revealed that 91.2% of non-Roma and 92.5% of Roma participants engaged in less than three hours of physical activity per week (p < 0.001). The prevalence of obesity was comparable between the groups, with 71.7% of non-Roma and 72.4% of Roma individuals having a body mass index (BMI) above 25 kg/m² (p = 0.709). However, the median BMI was higher in the Roma population (28.8 kg/m²) compared to the non-Roma population (28.0 kg/m²) (p < 0.001). Smoking prevalence was significantly higher among Roma individuals (60.3%) compared to non-Roma individuals (28.7%) (p < 0.001). Hypertension was prevalent in 54.9% of non-Roma participants and 49.8% of Roma participants (p < 0.001), while diabetes was reported in 11.5% of Roma and 12.2% of non-Roma participants (p < 0.001).

The findings indicate a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, insufficient physical activity, and a notably high smoking rate among the underprivileged populations studied. Type 2 diabetes and hypertension were more prevalent in these groups compared to the general Hungarian population. These results highlight the need for targeted primary care interventions and preventive measures to address cardiovascular risk factors in underprivileged settlements, focusing on improving lifestyle factors and reducing health disparities.

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02555-6