172604 Mortality Patterns among U.S. Pacific Islanders: 1992-2005

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Sela Panapasa, PhD , Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
David R. Williams, PhD, MPH , Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Marjorie Mau, MD, MS , Department of Native Hawaiian Health, University of Hawai'i - John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
Harold W. Neighbors, PhD , Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Baseline information on the broader health disparities among Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders is lacking. In particular, this gap in our knowledge about obesity disparities and how they may relate to more distal outcomes of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancer in this population does not exist. To fill this gap in our knowledge we will examine the mortality rates and identify the underlying causes of death by CVD, diabetes and cancer, as the 3 leading causes of death in this population.

Using mortality data extracted from the NCHS Mortality Detail Files (MDF) and the 5 percent Public Use Microsample (PUMS) data from the 2000 census mortality rates and cause-specific death rates are calculated. This application represents a valuable opportunity to establish baseline health information on Pacific Islanders living in the U.S., understand the major causes of mortality and contribute to efforts to eliminate health disparities in general and more specifically to obesity related disparities among NHPIs and select subgroups.

Learning Objectives:
1) Discuss the mortality patterns for U.S. Pacific Islanders and select subgroups. 2) Analyze the mortality detail file data and establish baseline information on the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population. 3) Describe the challenges with secondary data analysis on small populations.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have research experience in this topic.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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