322343
Developing and Administering a Health Survey in the Asian Indian Community in Houston
Methods. To develop the survey instrument, 4 focus groups were conducted with Asian Indian individuals representing both genders, a range of ages, US born and non-US born individuals, to gather information about their health priorities and perceptions about barriers to health care. The focus groups revealed that distinct differences existed in the health perspectives of Asian Indians based on nativity, gender, and age, and the top 3 health concerns of the community were diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. Focus group results were validated by interviewing 10 Asian Indian key informants of diverse backgrounds.
Results. The final instrument included 126 questions covering demographics, occupational health risks, environmental exposures, health status, health care access, alternative therapy, immunizations, oral health, tobacco and alcohol use, physical activity and nutrition, medical conditions, and cancer. Tailored questions from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System questionnaire and existing health surveys conducted in Asian Indian/South Asian communities were used. The survey was pilot-tested to establish face validity and provided in English and Hindi. It was administered by trained staff and volunteers to self-identified Asian Indians, older than 18 years, one member per household, at more than 33 Asian Indian community venues/events over 12 months. Selected findings included: 80% were immigrants born in India; over 90% of participants rated their health as good or excellent, however, approximately 50% of participants were overweight/obese; significant percentages had hypertension (28%), high cholesterol (33%), diabetes (18%) and heart disease (9%).
Conclusions. Culturally relevant healthy eating and active living programs are needed in this population to promote management of weight and chronic disease.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationDiversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Learning Objectives:
Describe how a health survey was tailored for the Asian Indian community
Demonstrate an understanding of health disparities in the Asian Indian community
Keyword(s): Asian Americans, Data Collection and Surveillance
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the principal investigator for this project focusing on the health and cancer needs of Asian Indians in the Greater Houston area. I have conducted several health surveys, studies and interventions with Asian American populations, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Korean. I am a co-founder of the Asian American Health Coalition of Greater Houston and the community health center that the AAHC established.
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.