ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to document the sociodemographic, physical, and psychosocial health characteristics of self-reported diabetic Asian-Pacific Americans in Guam. METHODS: Data from Guam's 1991 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey were analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Diabetic men are significantly more likely than nondiabetic men to be Chamorro, not to have graduated from high school, to be unemployed, and to be impoverished. Diabetic women are also significantly more likely than nondiabetic women to be impoverished. Hypertension is more prevalent among diabetic men and women than among nondiabetic persons. Diabetic men are at greater risk than nondiabetic men for heart attack, and are significantly more likely to assess their physical health as poor. Diabetic women are more likely than nondiabetic women to suffer strokes. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate significant differences in the health status of diabetic and nondiabetic Asian-Pacific persons in Guam and extends our understanding of the health characteristics and service needs of this rapidly growing and under-studied population.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus/ethnology , Health Status , Adult , Asia, Southeastern/ethnology , Asian People , Cardiovascular Diseases/ethnology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diabetes Mellitus/mortality , Educational Status , Female , Guam , Humans , Hypertension/ethnology , Hypertension/mortality , Male , Micronesia/ethnology , Philippines/ethnology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sex Distribution , Socioeconomic Factors , Survival Rate , Unemployment/statistics & numerical data , White PeopleABSTRACT
Studies of Asian Pacific American populations are often flawed because while the population is quite heterogeneous, researchers usually collapse them into a single category, making it impossible to assess the health status or needs of individual Asian Pacific American ethnic groups. Using a probability sample of Guam residents, the analysis reported here addresses the problem by documenting the health status and characteristics of Chamorro and Filipino hypertensives. In contrast to predictions from the literature, Chamorros have a higher prevalence of hypertension than Filipinos. Additional results show that hypertensive Chamorro men and women are from lower socioeconomic status levels than their Filipino counterparts, while hypertensive men and women of both ethnic groups appear equally likely to be overweight and to suffer diabetes. Male hypertensives are at greater risk for psychological distress than normotensives, and have a greater chance of heart failure. Compared to Filipinos, hypertensive Chamorros are more likely to evaluate their overall physical health as poor.
Subject(s)
Health Status , Hypertension/complications , Hypertension/ethnology , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Female , Guam/epidemiology , Health Surveys , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Philippines/ethnology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sampling Studies , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The effects of ethnicity and socioeconomic status on the use of screening mammograms were assessed for a probability sample of Chamorro, Filipino, White, and other Asian and Pacific island women residing on Guam. Using logistic regression analysis, we found that socioeconomic status significantly influenced the use of screening mammograms among Chamorro and Filipino women while strong ethnic effects remained for other Asian and Pacific island women. Age had a significant influence of the use of screening mammograms. Marital status and having a young child in the home were not significant predictor variables.