Health status of Asian Pacific Americans in Missouri.

ABSTRACT

The dramatic increase in Asian Pacific Americans has created a different set of social, economic and health issues for the country as well as for this state. Asian Pacific Americans are extremely heterogeneous and bipolar in socioeconomic status and health issues. Asian Pacific Islander Americans come from over 43 countries and speak over 100 languages and dialects. This study reveals that in this state, 23% of Asian Pacific American households are linguistically isolated. Almost 20% of Asian Pacific American families (married couples with children under 5 years old) have an income below the poverty line. The need for severe mental health service is four times higher for southeast Asian refugees than the overall population. The death rates from communicable disease and suicide are lowest for Asian Pacific Americans, and for Asian Pacific Americans, the age-adjusted death rates are widely different. For example, people with Hawaiian background appear to have a high incidence of death from heart disease (363.3 per 100,000) whereas Chinese experienced a higher incidence of death from cancer (70.2 per 100,000). The Asian Pacific Americans have the lowest infant mortality rate. This paper suggests that providers, educators and legislators should pay more attention to Asian Pacific American communities regarding socioeconomic and health care needs to create a healthy and productive community.