A Scoping Review of the Health of African Immigrant and Refugee Children

Authors

Bukola Salami, University of AlbertaFollow
Higinio Fernandez-Sanchez, University of AlbertaFollow
Christa Fouche, University of AucklandFollow
Catrin Evans, University of NottinghamFollow
Lindiwe Sibeko, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow
Mia Tulli, University of AlbertaFollow
Ashley Bulaong, University of AlbertaFollow
Stephen Owunsu Kwankye, University of GhanaFollow
Mary Ani-Amponsah, University of AlbertaFollow
Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika, University of AlbertaFollow
hayat Gommaa, Ahmadu Bello UniversityFollow
Kafuli Agbemenu, SUNY University at BuffaloFollow
Chizoma Millicent Ndikom, University of IbadanFollow
Solina Richter, University of AlbertaFollow

Publication Date

2021

Journal or Book Title

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Abstract

Migration is a growing phenomenon around the world, including within the African continent. Many migrants, especially African children, face challenges related to health and social inclusion and can face increased health risks. A systematic scoping review of available literature on the health of African migrant children across the globe was conducted to offer insight into these health risks. The review was conducted over a 15-month period from January 2019 to April 2020, yielding 6602 articles once duplicates were removed. This search included electronic databases, reference lists of articles reviewed, and searches of libraries of relevant organisations. A total of 187 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 159 were quantitative, 22 were qualitative, and 6 used mixed methods. The findings reveal decreased health in this population in areas of nutrition, infectious diseases, mental health, birth outcomes, sexual and reproductive health, physical and developmental health, parasitic infections, oral health, respiratory health, preventative health, endocrine disorders, health care services, and haematological conditions. The findings offer insights into factors influencing the health of African immigrant and refugee children. Further studies, especially qualitative studies, are needed to determine barriers to service access after migration and to investigate other underexplored and overlooked health concerns of African migrant children, including pneumonia and child maltreatment.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073514

Volume

18

Special Issue

Health of Immigrant Children

Issue

7

License

UMass Amherst Open Access Policy

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Salami, Bukola; Fernandez-Sanchez, Higinio; Fouche, Christa; Evans, Catrin; Sibeko, Lindiwe; Tulli, Mia; Bulaong, Ashley; Kwankye, Stephen Owunsu; Ani-Amponsah, Mary; Okeke-Ihejirika, Philomina; Gommaa, hayat; Agbemenu, Kafuli; Ndikom, Chizoma Millicent; and Richter, Solina, "A Scoping Review of the Health of African Immigrant and Refugee Children" (2021). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 229.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073514