Multimorbidity and Disability Among Venezuelan Migrants: A Population-Based Survey in Peru

The political and economic crisis in Venezuela has originated an unprecedented migration. As of November 2020, 1.04 million Venezuelans have moved to Peru. Understanding their health profile is needed to identify their needs, provide care and secure resources without affecting the healthcare of nationals. We quantified the burden of multimorbidity and disability in the Venezuelan population in Peru. We analyzed the 2018 Survey of Venezuelan Population Living in Peru; population-based with random sampling survey in six cities in Peru. Participants were asked about the presence of 12 chronic conditions (self-reported); this information was grouped into 0, 1 and ≥ 2 conditions (i.e., multimorbidity). Disability was also ascertained with a self-reported questionnaire adapted from the short version of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. Socioeconomic variables were analyzed as potential determinants. Variables were described with frequencies and 95% confidence interval (95% CI), compared with Chi2 test, and association estimates were derived with a Poisson regression reporting prevalence ratio and 95% CI. Results accounted for the complex survey design. The analysis included 7554 migrants, mean age 31.8 (SD: 10.2), 46.6% were women, 31.7% migrated alone and 5.6% had refugee status. The prevalence of multimorbidity was 0.6% (95% CI 0.4–0.9%), and was often present in women (p < 0.001), people ≥ 50 years (p < 0.001) and those without recent job (p < 0.001). The prevalence of disability was 2.0% (95% CI 1.5–2.7%), and was common among people ≥ 50 years (p < 0.001) and those without recent job (p < 0.001). Migration alone and refugee status were not associated with multimorbidity or disability. The self-reported prevalence of multimorbidity and disability in Venezuelan migrants in Peru was low, and were not strongly influenced by migration status. While these results could suggest a healthy migrant effect, the healthcare system should be prepared to deliver acute and preventive care for these migrants, while also securing primary prevention to delay the onset of chronic conditions in this population.

Immigration, perceived discrimination and mental health: evidence from Venezuelan population living in Peru

Background The association between international migration and mental health is conditioned to several factors, and discrimination may play a significant role. Currently, Peru is one of the principal Venezuelan migrant-receiving countries in Latin America. There are around one million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the country. This study evaluates the association between self-perceived discrimination and mental health problems in Venezuelan population living in Peru. Method We analyzed data from the Venezuelan Population Residing in Peru Survey 2018, a nationally representative urban sample aimed at collecting information on several dimensions of Venezuelan population wellbeing. We applied logistic regression models to assess the association between self-perceived discrimination and mental health problems. Moreover, we applied the propensity score matching method as a robustness check of our results. Results Of 9487 Venezuelans surveyed, 6806 included complete information. From this sample, 6.3% reported mental health problems related to fear, anger, anxiety, or stress. Logistic regression models showed that Venezuelans who perceived being discriminated against had 2.4 higher odds of presenting mental health problems than their non-discriminated counterparts. Moreover, propensity score matching models showed that Venezuelans who perceived being discriminated against increased by 3.5 percentage points their probability of presenting mental health problems compared to their non-discriminated counterparts. Conclusions There is evidence that self-perceived discrimination is associated with mental health deterioration in Venezuelan migrants living in Peru. Our findings are relevant in the current geopolitical context and could be useful in the decision making processes in international health.

SHORT ADAPTATION OF THE SMELL TEST OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (UPSIT)FOR THE VENEZUELAN POPULATION.

The objective of this study was to design a short smell test adapted to the Venezuelan population using the UPSIT test as a reference.Methodology: Preliminary surveys were carried out in 2 groups of patients (1010 patients for each group) until obtaining the most frequently recognized odors and preferred values of that population. Normosmia, hyposmia and anosmia were normalized. The results of the new Venezuelan test were compared with the UPSIT test in 169 patients. Results: Sensitivity 73%, Specificity 100% and Positive predictive value of 100 with a diagnostic accuracy of 85,21%. Conclusions: short venezuelan smell test is safe and with reliable results in the diagnosis of olfactory alterations.