The health status of newly arrived Syrian refugees at the Refugee Health Service, South Australia, 2016

Background and objectives: Prior to the armed conflict, Syria had undergone an epidemiologic transition in disease burden from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Therefore, it is likely that the health status of Syrian refugees would be different from other refugee cohorts. The aim of this study was to describe the health status of Syrian refugees seen at the Refugee Health Service in South Australia in 2016. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected from medical records. Variables included demographics, infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies, noncommunicable diseases, mental illness and distress, and physical disabilities. Results: The results of the study identified a relatively young cohort with large families. The prevalence of infectious diseases was low (