Key result
Return migration is linked to ~24 points worse BMI scores versus pre-migration at the US-Mexico border.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to characterize cardiovascular health across different migrant flows crossing through the US-Mexico border region.
Does migration flow status affect American Heart Association cardiovascular health metrics in migrants on the US-Mexico border?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,254)
Yes
Does migration flow status affect American Heart Association cardiovascular health metrics in migrants on the US-Mexico border?
Effect estimate: BMI difference Return vs Pre-migration: -24.0 (95% CI -38.9 to -9.1); BMI difference Southbound vs Pre-migration: -14.7 (95% CI -26.2 to -3.3); Blood lipids difference Deported vs Pre-migration: -12.3 (95% CI -23.7 to -0.9) (95% CI As above)
Migrants returning from or deported from the US exhibit worse specific cardiovascular health metrics, such as BMI and blood lipids, compared to pre-migration individuals, highlighting the need for targeted health interventions at transit points.
May warrant targeted CVH interventions at border transit for return/deported migrants; leaves open causality pending longitudinal research.
Our objective was to characterize cardiovascular health in different migrant flows crossing through the United States (US)-Mexico border region. Participants (n = 1,264; weighted n = 682,130) in a probability-based study of migrant flows completed cross-sectional surveys and measurements from February-December 2022 at transit points in Tijuana, Matamoros, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Outcomes were American Heart Association cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure) (all range 0-100). We used covariate-adjusted linear regression to compare CVH outcomes by migration flow (Pre-migration, Return, Southbound, Deported). Compared to Pre-migration participants, Return and Southbound participants had significantly worse cardiovascular health scores for body mass index in adjusted models (difference = -24.0 [-38.9, -9.1] and difference = -14.7 [-26.2, -3.3], respectively), while Deported participants had significantly lower scores for blood lipids (difference = -12.3 [-23.7, -0.9]). We identified two cardiovascular risk factors that may serve as targets for intervention to improve cardiovascular health among migrants on the US-Mexico border. Findings demonstrate that migration flows represent subpopulations whose health needs and barriers to health services differ. Transit points may be potential intervention venues to improve migrant health.
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Eckrich et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Adult Mexican migrants (>18 years), including Pre-migration, Return, Southbound, and Deported flows, crossing US-Mexico border transit points in Tijuana, Matamoros, and Ciudad Juárez in 2022 (n=1,254). Migration flow category (Pre-migration, Return, Southbound, Deported) vs. Pre-migration flow was evaluated on American Heart Association cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, BMI, blood lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure) scored 0-100; primary comparisons were differences in CVH scores by migration flow (BMI difference Return vs Pre-migration: -24.0 (95% CI -38.9 to -9.1); BMI difference Southbound vs Pre-migration: -14.7 (95% CI -26.2 to -3.3); Blood lipids difference Deported vs Pre-migration: -12.3 (95% CI -23.7 to -0.9), 95% CI As above). Return and Southbound migration flows had significantly worse BMI scores by 24.0 and 14.7 points and Deported flow had 12.3 points lower blood lipid scores compared to Pre-migration migrants at US-Mexico border transit points.
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