142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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311280
Prevalence of obesity and chronic obesity-related diseases in US Pacific Islanders

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Sela V. Panapasa, PhD , Institute for Social Research (ISR), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Steve Heeringa, PhD , Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
James W. McNally, PhD , Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
David R. Williams, PhD, MPH , Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, African and African American Studies, and Sociology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Background/Significance: Epidemiological studies on disease prevalence among US Pacific Islanders (PI)  are rare.  Sample sizes for disaggregated data on PI populations in national health surveys are insufficient for stable analysis while smaller neighborhood studies cannot be generalized. These factors make the systematic study of PI health impossible despite high rates of NCD.

Objective/Purpose: To assess the prevalence of obesity and chronic obesity related diseases among US Pacific Islanders and compare outcomes to the US and California populations.

Methods: The paper presents analysis of the 2012 Pacific Islander Health Study, a stratified random sample of PI households in Los Angeles County and San Mateo County, California (n=239 adults aged 18 to 92 years) to estimate chronic obesity disease prevalence and associated comorbidities.  The study design of the PIHS allows for comparisons to the NHIS and CHIS studies providing the ability for these results to be compared to other race and ethnic groups. The main outcome measures are heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, gout and cancer.  Descriptive statistics and prevalence rates are presented. Bivariate odds ratios are calculated for outcomes of the selected chronic diseases.  Both unadjusted and adjusted results will be reported for the select measures.

Results: Prevalence rates for chronic obesity related diseases are found to be disproportionately higher for US Pacific Islanders when compared to county, state and national-level results.  Samoan and Tongan ethnic differences are also present.

Discussion/Conclusions: These findings are the first to systematically analyze and confirm the assumed presence of high rates of chronic obesity related diseases. The findings emphasize the importance of obtaining disaggregated API data to accurately understand and measure the health conditions of US Pacific Islanders. The research methods employed can apply to other small populations as well. The findings warrant the collection of evidence-based information on other US Pacific Islander populations.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the prevalence of US Pacific Islander chronic obesity related diseases.

Keyword(s): Obesity, Asian and Pacific Islanders

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander health across the lifespan. Among my scientific interests has been the development of research strategies to collect accurate information on NHPI health.
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.

Back to: 4079.0: Data disaggregation in Asian and/or Pacific Islander populations