A Comparison of Cardiovascular Health Across Migration Flows on the US-Mexico Border

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.