Please send fruit. The health of Ghanaians living in Amsterdam is appalling, according to a recent study. On a more positive note:  hardly any of them smoke.

 
The Academic Medical Centre, in collaboration with the municipal health services in Amsterdam, checked the health of people in different neighbourhoods in the Dutch capital. They conducted a special study focused on the Ghanaian diaspora in Amsterdam, a group they had little information about until now. The results call for sending ‘get well soon’ cards rather than opening up bottles of champagne.

A weighty issue
Ghanaians can pat themselves on the backs for not smoking. The one per cent that does light up, is nothing compared to the quarter of their neighbours who do smoke. But that’s where the good news ends. 
More than 80% of Ghanaians in Amsterdam are overweight. They don’t get enough physical exercise, they eat at irregular times and they don’t eat enough fruit. In comparison: amongst other ethnicities in the same neighbourhood, 50% are worryingly obese.
 
“Ghanaians in Amsterdam are ten times more likely to be overweight or obese than Ghanaians in rural Ghana”, says Charles Agyemang of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, one of the people who set up the study. “Their lives changed drastically when they migrated to the Netherlands, leading to poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. Many people struggle with the Dutch language, and getting a decent job is difficult. This causes a lot of stress, which takes its toll on their health.”
 
Half of the participants in the study suffered from high blood pressure and were more susceptible to heart disease and  strokes. This is much higher than in other areas of Amsterdam, where on average 27% of people have a valid reason to worry about their blood pressure.

Unhealthy vegetables
The study revealed that Ghanaians visit their doctor more often and eat more vegetables than the Amsterdam average. You would think this contributes to a better health. But, says Dr Agyemang, at first look, these outcomes are deceptive. “Yes they visit their doctor regularly, but that’s because they have a lot of trouble explaining their problems in Dutch or English. So they come back again and again until their issue has been resolved. And as for eating vegetables; when they’re covered in a greasy sauce, they’re not exactly healthy anymore.”
 
The participants were aware of the health risks, and wanted more advice on leading a  healthy lifestyle. To really tackle the problem though, more needs to be done, says Dr Agyemang. “The health services have a certain responsibility as well. The language problem is the biggest barrier, and could partly be resolved by contracting health workers with a Ghanaian background.”

Stroke alert
At a municipality level, the approach needs to be tailored to the specific needs of the Ghanaian community. “Use existing structures, such as the Ghanaian churches in the Bijlmer, rather than printing general leaflets that nobody understands,” recommends Dr Agyemang.
 
A second study with a larger research group, scheduled for 2012, should reveal more about the health of the Ghanaian diaspora in Western Europe. “We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg so far,” predicts Dr Agyemang. “The problemis huge. The municipalities should really put aside funding for a timely intervention. We realise this is expensive, but if we don’t act now, we’re likely to spend four times as much on treating all the Ghanaians who end up in hospital with a stroke.”