Title : Global nutritional inequities among migrant workers: A meta-analysis across regions and risk factors
Abstract:
Migrant workers are increasingly exposed to nutritional vulnerabilities due to disrupted food environments, demanding working conditions, and limited access to health services. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the global prevalence of malnutrition, specifically underweight and overweight/obese among migrant workers in Asian and non-Asian destination countries. A systematic search of five databases (CENTRAL, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) in April 2025 identified 28 eligible studies encompassing 84,892 migrant workers. A pooled prevalence was calculated using a generalized linear mixed model with random effects in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² and Cochran’s Q, and publication bias using Egger’s test and funnel plots. The pooled prevalence of underweight was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.2–7.3), while overweight/obese reached 45.3% (95% CI:39.5–51.3), indicating a clear double burden of malnutrition in this population. Migrant workers in non-Asian destination countries had a higher prevalence of both underweight (7.6%; 95% CI: 4.3–13.3) and overweight/obese (52.5%; 95% CI: 38.3–66.2) compared to those in Asia (3.9%; 95% CI: 2.3–6.5 and 40.1%; 95% CI: 33.6–47.0, respectively), although these differences were not statistically significant. Moderator analyses identified BMI, female and marital status as significant predictors of malnutrition. These findings underscore the urgent need for policies that integrate nutrition screening, culturally tailored education, and access to healthy food within migrant health systems. From a nutrition perspective, promoting dietary equity and improving the food environment for migrant workers are critical steps to prevent long-term health risks and reduce disparities in nutritional well-being.
