Self-rated health among Vietnamese adults: Associations with social determinants, cardiovascular disease, and related risk factors

BACKGROUND: Self-rated overall health status (SRH) is strongly associated with chronic morbidity and predicts subsequent mortality. Little is known about determinants of SRH among Vietnamese adults, a socioeconomically disadvantaged population, despite research that has found very high levels of poorer SRH relative to other racial/ethnic groups. OBJECTIVE: To identify associations between poorer SRH, social determinants, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related risk factors among Vietnamese adults. METHODS: Data come from a 2011 random-digit-dial telephone survey of Vietnamese adults in Santa Clara County, home to over 20% of California's Vietnamese population. SRH was categorized as fair/poor vs. good/very good/excellent. Predictors of SRH were determined using logistic regression. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent of adults reported fair/poor SRH. Higher education (more than high school versus high school or less (OR: 0.36, 95% CI 0.23-0.57) and being interviewed in English (OR: 0.18, 95%CI 0.09-0.38) were associated with lower odds of fair/poor SRH. Older age (OR: 1.03 95% CI 1.00-1.05); emotions interfering with daily activities (OR: 2.02, 95% CI 1.27-3.23); diabetes (OR: 3.20, 95% CI 1.35-7.59); and hypertension (OR: 2.64, 95% CI 1.50-4.67) were associated with higher odds of fair/poor SRH. No associations were found for gender, CVD, high cholesterol, or health insurance. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of Vietnamese adults assessed their health status as fair/poor. Predictors of poorer SRH include many found in other populations, including social factors, mental health needs, and selected CVD risk factors. More research is needed to determine sources of high reporting of poorer health status in this population.