The prevalence of insomnia symptoms and cardiometabolic conditions among Bhutanese living in the US: Descriptive findings from the pilot Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio Health Study

Authors

• K Villalobos
• R Signh
• J Murkey
• CL Jackson
• FA Montiel Ishino

Abstract

Bhutanese are amongst the largest and most recent refugee groups in the US with over 96,000 individuals resettled by 2023. A few prior studies suggest sleep disturbances like insomnia as well as cardiometabolic conditions such as overweight/obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes may be particularly prevalent among refugees in the US. However, there are limited data among the underserved/underrepresented and hardly-reached US Bhutanese communities. To address this gap and estimate the prevalence of insomnia symptoms and cardiometabolic conditions, we developed one of the first US Bhutanese adult (ages ‚â•18 years; N=495) cohort studies in central Ohio using a mixed methods research design. Based on survey data from 2021-2022, most participants were male (51%), aged 25-44 years (37%), and ethnically Brahmin/Chhetri/Janajati/Dalit (93%). Regarding insomnia symptoms, 56.4% reported having little to no difficulty falling or staying asleep, 30.7% reported quite a bit of difficulty, and 12.9% found it extremely difficult. From self-report of medical diagnosis and treatment, 64.1% were classified as overweight/obese (using body mass index criteria for Asian populations), 16.5% had dyslipidemia, 22.6% hypertension, and 14.7% type 2 diabetes. Overall, 28.2% of the sample reported no cardiometabolic conditions, 65.6% reported 1-3, and 6.2% reported all conditions. Ultimately, these descriptive findings illuminate the high prevalence of insomnia symptoms and cardiometabolic conditions among the US Bhutanese communities. Future research will investigate potential determinants to inform intervention targets.

Scientific Focus Area: ACI/IRS

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