Abstract
BACKGROUND: Residential segregation is a key social determinant of health. An increasing number of studies have examined the impact of residential segregation on cardiometabolic health among ethnic and racial minority populations, including Asian immigrants. This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of existing literature investigating the relationship between residential segregation and cardiometabolic health outcomes, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, among Asian immigrants residing in Western countries. METHODS: Peer-reviewed articles that were published by May 31st, 2023 and examined the relationships of residential segregation with obesity, hypertension, or diabetes among Asian immigrants were searched in the PubMed database. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize the findings regarding the relationships between residential segregation and cardiometabolic outcomes. RESULTS: Of the total 1,334 records screened, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were thus included in this review. Overall, the majority of included studies reported nonsignificant associations between residential segregation and obesity or hypertension. However, residential segregation appears to have mixed effects on diabetes among Asian immigrants. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that residential segregation may have different effects on various cardiometabolic health outcomes among Asian immigrants. More future studies are needed to elucidate the effects of residential segregation on cardiometabolic health among Asian immigrant subgroups.