Cardiovascular risk factors among Chamorros.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the cardiovascular disease risk factors among Chamorros residing in the United States. METHODS: The Chamorro Directory International and the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Questionnaire (BRFSS) were used to assess the health related practices and needs of a random sample of 228 Chamorros. RESULTS: Inactivity, hypertension, elevated cholesterol and diabetes mellitus were more prevalent in this Chamorro sample compared to the US average. Participants who were 50-and-older or unemployed were more likely to report hypertension, diabetes and inactivity, but they were also more likely to consume more fruits and vegetables than their younger and employed counterparts. Women were more likely to report hypertension and diabetes, whereas men were more likely to have elevated BMI and to have never had their blood cholesterol checked. CONCLUSION: The study provides data that will help healthcare providers, public health workers and community leaders identify where to focus their health improvement efforts for Chamorros and create culturally competent programs to promote health in this community.

Diabetes management in San Diego's Chamorro community.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the diabetes risk status, incidence, and morbidity within San Diego's Chamorro community as a foundation to help community leaders and health care providers create culturally customized health promotion interventions. METHODS: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey was used to query a randomly selected, convenience sample of San Diego Chamorros (N = 228) drawn from the Chamorro Directory International. Based on individual survey responses, participants were mailed personalized health-promoting information. Subsequently, they received information that addressed the most commonly observed overall threats to the Chamorro community's health. RESULTS: A higher than average prevalence of diabetes and gestational diabetes was reported by study participants along with a high prevalence of the risk factors associated with the premature onset of diabetes and its consequences. CONCLUSION: Collaborative partnerships between health professionals and community leaders can help identify opportunities and strategies for improving the health of the nation's population subgroups. San Diego's Chamorro community leaders now have a clearer understanding of the prevalence of diabetes risk factors within their community and can begin working with public health educators to create culturally aligned diabetes prevention and management programs. Given the willingness of Chamorro leaders to get involved in the development of a diabetes awareness campaign and the community's closely knit social network, it should be possible to promote (1) community participation in the intervention program, (2) an increase in the community's adherence to recommended behavioral changes, and (3) identification of additional program modifications that will further enhance the program's cultural relevance.

Cancer risk factor assessment among Chamorro men in San Diego.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the health of Chamorros residing in the United States. METHOD: The CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to assess cancer-related behavioral risk factors in San Diego's Chamorro men, and the Chamorro Directory International was used to recruit them. RESULTS: Of the 100 Chamorro men, 19% smoked, 38.4% reported eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables daily, 48.8% reported being current on their prostate cancer screening, and 74.4% reported being current on their colorectal cancer screening. CONCLUSIONS: This sample of Chamorro men reported higher rates of health-promoting practices than nationwide averages.