Background:The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is often called the salad bowl of the US, yet there are high levels of poverty that rival Appalachia, and contains a large number of underrepresented populations. One such group, Punjabi Sikhs, have resided in the SJV since 1899 and have primarily worked in agriculture. Understanding health risks among this group is important as South Asians are three times more likely as non-Hispanic Whites, and twice as likely than other Asians to be diagnosed with diabetes. The purpose of this study is to utilize a needs assessment to understand the prevalence of chronic diseases and risk factors within the SJV Punjabi Sikh community.

Methods:A convenient sample (n=264) of Punjabi Sikhs from Merced and Stanislaus County was collected in order to understand the lifestyle factors and disparities associated with chronic diseases. Surveys were self-administered in Punjabi or English, and asked questions about chronic disease diagnosis, diet, exercise, and acculturation. Demographic information was also collected.

Results:The average age of the sample was 34 years and was mostly gender balanced. Preliminary results show 19.4% of participants reported diabetes diagnosis, 24.5% reported high cholesterol diagnosis, and 17.05% reported hypertension. Analysis is ongoing

Conclusion:Our survey revealed that this population had a higher rate of diabetes than either Latinos or NH Whites in the area, and that interventions to address cultural factors that contribute to chronic disease are needed in this population. This needs assessment fills a research gap because the Punjabi Sikh population has generally been overlooked.