By May Chow | AsianWeek Staff Writer
Heart disease has a higher prevalence among Asian Indians in the United States than among any other Asians or non-Hispanic whites, making cardiovascular disease the leading cause of mortality in that population, according to a first-ever report on South Asian American health.
For two years, the Maryland-based South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA) collected and examined statistics and finally released a collection of data on critical health issues for South Asian Americans called “A Brown Paper: The Health of South Asians in the United States.”
The main conclusion of the report was that more research on the health status, needs and concerns of South Asians is vital to reducing health disparities.
“We’re hoping that this report will target policy makers and researchers that have little or no knowledge on the South Asian community,” said Abhijit Ghosh, co-chair of SAPHA. “By learning about the health of South Asians, we not only empower our community, but others’ as well.”
This report comes at an important time, since approximately 2 million people of South Asian origin live in the United States, an increase of 106 percent over the past decade, according to the 2000 Census report.
“There has been a tremendous increase in our community here and a lack of relevant data and information addressing this group,” said Sharmila Rao, who co-authored the women’s health chapter of the report. “It is important to begin to pay attention to the varying differences and issues that ethnic and minority communities face in understanding, accessing and receiving adequate, complete and proper care.”
Rao added that there is a need for deeper awareness and wider availability of culturally sensitive and translated materials and services for the nation’s diverse communities.
Little attention has been given to the health of South Asians because there hasn’t been a voice advocating for more resources for the community. SAPHA members felt there was need to speak up.
“The model minority myth, which plagues all Asian subgroups, leads to a false perception that our community has few or no health problems,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a research writer at Johns Hopkins University of Public Health. “Before this report, there was little evidence or documentation that health care among this population was neglected.”
Upadhyay, who co-wrote a section on intimate partner violence, said now the report can focus on gaps where further research and data are needed.
Upadhyay’s experience with organizations that help South Asian women get out of violent relationships, helped her with the report’s chapter on physical abuse. Surprisingly, this is an area that has relatively more research, compared to other health issues such as substance abuse or gay and lesbian health. But she adds that almost no research exists on how intimate partner violence affects American-born South Asians.
Women of South Asian origin who experience violence face multiple barriers seeking help, including duty to the family, saving face, financial dependence, isolation and fear of losing their green card, Upadhyay said.
“Once they decide to seek help, they face language constraints, differences in communication styles with providers and a lack of culturally-tailored resources within mainstream services,” she said.
In other key findings regarding women’s health, women who emigrated from India to the United States are more likely to deliver low birth-weight babies than white women and women in other ethnic groups, even though they receive first trimester prenatal care at about the same rate as white women.
Rao said although the statistical data on South Asian women living in the United States and language barriers were limited, she found that anemia, osteoporosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome and reproductive and sexual healthcare are particularly relevant health issues.
The report also found that the top chronic illness concerns of South Asians are obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Susan Ivey, a public health professor at UC Berkeley, who researched this area, said coronary heart disease is prevalent among Asian Indians despite the reduced presence of traditional risk factors, such as tobacco, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and low physical activity. Her study found that the combination of genetic predisposition and broad changes accompanying Westernization — diet and physical factors — could help explain the higher risk.
“We also wanted to discover in our study if there might be psychosocial or cultural factors that are related,” said Ivey. “Our study results are being analyzed now, and we hope to have results early next year for presentation and publication.”
SAPHA was formed in 1999 with only 10 members. Now there are more than 400 people involved in this organization of public health professionals and students. Some of SAPHA’s goals are to provide a forum for mentorship, dialogue and networking among public health specialists working with South Asian communities; to advance the leadership and development of South Asian health workers; to raise awareness of health risks; and to encourage healthy behavior.
Reach May Chow at mchow@asianweek.com.
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