· The leading cause of mortality in
South Asians is cardiovascular disease.
o Heart disease has a higher
prevalence in Asian Indians than other Asians and non-Hispanic whites
o 50% of South Asians have metabolic
syndrome
o At lower body mass indices, South
Asians are more prone to develop obesity and coronary artery disease
§ BMI cutoff = 23 kg/m for South Asians (compared to 25 for others)
§ Waist size cutoffs for obesity are
4 inches less in South Asians than others
· South Asians are more prone to
develop diabetes than other ethnic groups.
o South Asians are five times more
likely to develop type 2 diabetes than other groups
o Even though many South Asians are
vegetarian, they are uniquely prone to develop diabetes and become obese
· When compared to white children,
Asian American children are 2-3 times more likely to lack a usual source of
health care services and continuity of care.
· Women who have emigrated to the US
from India are more likely to deliver low birth weight infants than white women
and women in other ethnic groups, although they receive first trimester prenatal
care at about the same rate as white women.
· In both the intimate partner
violence and HIV/AIDS chapters, authors note that the stigma associated with
seeking assistance often deters South Asians from accessing services.
References:
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