A Health Needs Assessment of the Filipino American Community in the Greater Las Vegas Area

Assessment of Electronic Health Literacy Among Filipino Americans

Health literacy requires skills of reading, understanding, and analyzing text, numbers, graphs, and diagrams to make well-informed decisions. The increase advancement in technologies has made health information accessible in electronic format. Individuals must apply health literacy in navigating through health information resources on the Internet. Filipino Americans originating from a diverse background are often underreported and underrepresented in health research. The study aim was to examine electronic health literacy among Filipino Americans using the Electronic Health Literacy Scale survey. The descriptive study recruited 103 participants. Overall Filipino Americans are electronic health literate, with a mean of 32.4 ( SD = 4.6). Females ( P = .017), those with graduate or professional degrees ( P = .004) and working in healthcare ( P = .040) tend to have higher electronic health literacy. The study provided valuable insight on electronic health literacy on a population that is underrepresented in research. The descriptive data gained from the study lays foundational work to help decrease health inequities experienced by Filipino Americans.

Illness perceptions and blood pressure control among hypertensive Filipino Americans: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Among Asian Americans, Filipino Americans (FAs)-who constitute the fourth largest US immigrant group and who fill in health care workforce shortages-experience high prevalence but low control rates of high blood pressure (HBP). Research reveals that patients' illness perceptions, their common-sense model (CSM) of the illness, influence treatment behaviors, and management outcomes. However, scarce information exists about FAs' perceptions about HBP.

PURPOSE

To address this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study to (a) identify the illness perceptions of hypertensive FAs, (b) classify these perceptions into clusters, and (c) determine the association between illness perceptions and BP control.

METHODOLOGY

The responses of 248 FAs with HBP to the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire were analyzed using JMP Pro version 17 to discover their CSMs or illness perceptions. We used iterative K means cluster analysis to classify variations in CSMs and analysis of means chart to determine the association of illness perceptions and BP control.

RESULTS

Hypertensive FAs expressed threatening (negative) views of HBP through their emotional perceptions of the illness and its chronic time line, whereas their positive views centered on their cognitive beliefs about understanding HBP and its controllability. Based on the biomedical model of HBP, the overall illness perceptions or CSMs encompassed three clusters. Generally, threatening illness perceptions were associated with stage 2 HBP.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS

The findings underscore the need for nurse practitioners to elicit, listen, discern, and understand the illness perceptions or CSMs of hypertensive FAs to improve BP treatment and control with scientifically and culturally tailored interventions.

Filipino Americans' Social and Cultural Experiences of Type 2 Diabetes Management: Cultural Paradox, Ownership, and Success Definition

BACKGROUND

Although type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disproportionately affects Filipino Americans, they have not received much attention in the literature. Focusing on how Filipino Americans' social and cultural contextual experiences affect their self-management is critical. This study examined T2DM self-management among Filipino Americans by describing their sociocultural experiences, strategies, and significance of self-management.

METHOD

An interpretive descriptive qualitative design was used. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist.

RESULTS

Filipino Americans (n = 19) with T2DM were interviewed. Three themes emerged: (a) cultural paradox of being Filipino American, (b) movement from invisibility to ownership of T2DM, and (c) definition of successful management of T2DM.

CONCLUSION

Results contribute to a greater understanding of Filipino Americans' T2DM self-management experiences. Implications include the provision of culturally congruent health care, being aware of Filipino Americans' sociocultural experiences, and involvement of family/community.

Cardiovascular disease in Filipino American men and women: A 2023 update

With more than 4.2 million people, Filipino Americans are the third largest Asian group in the US and the largest Southeast Asian group in the country. Despite relatively favorable average socioeconomic indicators compared to the general US population, Filipino Americans face a significant burden of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, particularly among men. Moreover, Filipino Americans have high rates of cardiovascular death, often occurring at a younger age compared to other minority groups and Non-Hispanic White adults. In view of these trends, in 2010 the American Heart Association designated Filipino Americans as a high cardiovascular risk group. Despite this, in 2023, Filipino Americans remain underrepresented in landmark cardiovascular cohort studies and are often over looked as a group at increased cardiovascular risk. In this updated narrative review, we summarize the current state of knowledge about the burden of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases experienced by the Filipino American population. Our aim is to inform enhanced clinical, population, and policy-level prevention interventions and boost research in this space.

A scoping review of community health needs and assets assessment: concepts, rationale, tools and uses

BACKGROUND

Community health needs and assets assessment is a means of identifying and describing community health needs and resources, serving as a mechanism to gain the necessary information to make informed choices about community health. The current review of the literature was performed in order to shed more light on concepts, rationale, tools and uses of community health needs and assets assessment.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of the literature published in English using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, PDQ evidence, NIH database, Cochrane library, CDC library, Trip, and Global Health Library databases until March 2021.

RESULTS

A total of 169 articles including both empirical papers and theoretical and conceptual work were ultimately retained for analysis. Relevant concepts were examined guided by a conceptual framework. The empirical papers were dominantly conducted in the  United States. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method approaches were used to collect data on community health needs and assets, with an increasing trend of using mixed-method approaches. Almost half of the included empirical studies used participatory approaches to incorporate community inputs into the process.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the need for having holistic approaches to assess community's health needs focusing on physical, mental and social wellbeing, along with considering the broader systems factors and structural challenges to individual and population health. Furthermore, the findings emphasize assessing community health assets as an integral component of the process, beginning foremost with community capabilities and knowledge. There has been a trend toward using mixed-methods approaches to conduct the assessment in recent years that led to the inclusion of the voices of all community members, particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. A notable gap in the existing literature is the lack of long-term or longitudinal-assessment of the community health needs assessment impacts.

Evaluating psychosocial and physical activity outcomes following an intervention among Filipino Americans

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a strong contributor to enhancing a healthy lifestyle and preventing numerous chronic diseases. As ethnic minorities engage in low levels of PA, psychosocial and activity-based interventions for sustaining PA are crucial. Methods: The 6-month intervention incorporated culturally tailored educational workshops and weekly PA classes at a community center. Educational workshops were led by six trained community health workers (CHWs). Participants (n=37) completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires regarding PA related self-efficacy, outcome expectations, social support, enjoyment, self-regulation, goal setting, and overall PA. Results: Following the intervention, study participants exhibited increases in weekly PA levels. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test revealed higher median scores for Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES), Identified Regulation, and Intrinsic Motivation. Positive changes were observed for Physical Outcome Expectations, Social Outcome Expectations, Self-Evaluative Outcome Expectations, Physical Activity Enjoyment, Social Support for Exercise Scale - Family, Social Support for Exercise - Friends, and Exercise Goal-Setting. Conclusion: Community-based PA interventions may provide potential benefits to Filipino Americans, an ethnic Asian minority group, in identifying exercise benefits, developing proper exercise goals, increasing motivation, promoting PA behavior, and facilitating long-term PA adherence.

Asian, Latinx, or Multiracial? Assessing Filipinxs' Health Conditions and Outcomes by Aggregate Ethnic Category

INTRODUCTION

Filipinxs are the second-largest Asian subgroup in the USA. While Filipinxs are most often considered Asian when constructing aggregate ethnic categories, recent research has identified a trend of a small portion of Filipinxs identifying as Latinx or multiracial. However, little research had addressed how identification with different aggregate ethnic categories may have implications for identifying health disparities among Filipinxs and how these compare to non-Hispanic whites.

METHODS

Bivariate and multivariable regression analyses using 2011-2018 California Health Interview Survey data, comparing Asian Filipinxs, Latinx Filipinxs, and multiracial Filipinxs.

RESULTS

In bivariate analyses, Asian Filipinxs had a higher prevalence of diabetes than Latinx or multiracial Filipinxs. After controlling for sociodemographics, Latinx Filipinxs had significantly lower odds of having diabetes or heart disease than Asian Filipinxs. Compared to non-Latinx Whites, Asian Filipinxs reported higher odds of being in fair/poor health, obese or overweight, high blood pressure, and diabetes, multiracial Filipinxs reported higher odds of being obese or overweight, and Latinx Filipinxs reported lower odds of heart disease.

DISCUSSION

These findings suggest emerging differences in health linked to identification with different ethnic categories, underscoring the need to investigate nuances among Filipinxs in future research as well as highlighting the utility of emerging sociological insights in health research.

Health Conditions, Outcomes, and Service Access Among Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Adults in California, 2011-2017

Objectives. To determine the impact of data disaggregation on the ability to identify health disparities and needs for future research for Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean adults in California.Methods. Using available data from the 2011-2017 California Health Interview Survey, we conducted bivariate and multivariable analyses to assess disparities in health conditions, outcomes, and service access compared with non-Hispanic Whites for Asians as an overall group and for each individual subgroup.Results. As an aggregate category, Asians appeared healthier than did non-Hispanic Whites on most indicators. However, every Asian subgroup had at least 1 disparity disguised by aggregation. Filipinos had the most disparities, with higher prevalence of fair or poor health, being obese or overweight, and having high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma compared with non-Hispanic Whites (P < .05) in multivariable analyses.Conclusions. Failure to disaggregate health data for individual Asian subgroups disguises disparities and leads to inaccurate conclusions about needs for interventions and research.

An Evaluation of Food Insecurity and Its Correlates in a Filipino American Study Sample Residing in Clark County, Nevada

Purpose: Filipino Americans comprise over half of the Asian American population in Clark County, Nevada. Despite their large numbers, food insecurity rates are aggregated with the entire Asian American population. In 2016, 1.6% of Asian American households in Clark County were food insecure, yet, 22% of households reported annual incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. This study aimed to assess the status and correlates of food insecurity specific to Filipino Americans in Clark County, Nevada.

Methods: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Short Form Food Security Module was administered among 192 Filipino Americans residing in Clark County, NV. Results were viewed through the theoretical framework of the Social Ecological Model.

Results: 27.1% of respondents experienced food insecurity within the past year. Adjusted logistic regression revealed that incomes less than $20,000 (odds ratio [OR]=4.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43–11.9), having no health insurance (OR=5.22, 95% CI: 1.67–16.34), and eating mainly American or Western foods (OR=7.3, 95% CI: 1.73–30.77) were significant predictors of food insecurity.

Conclusions: A significantly higher prevalence of food insecurity among Filipino American subpopulations, compared to the estimates for Asian Americans in Clark County, suggests the need to disaggregate data for Asian American subgroups. The Social Ecological Model provides greater context to the findings identifying that the intrapersonal and policy level factors were associated with food insecurity among our participants, thus suggesting the need to utilize multilevel interventions to address food insecurity in Filipino Americans. The findings may be utilized to inform future interventions aimed at improving the overall health and food security among Filipino Americans.

A Study of Physical Activity Determinants among High-Risk Hypertensive Filipino and Korean Americans

Physical activity (PA) serves a critical role in maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases, though its influence on high-risk Asian American populations is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine PA levels among Filipino and Korean Americans at high risk of hypertension and to identify sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with PA levels in these populations. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 137 participants in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Data was collected on PA levels, sociodemographic factors, and health factors. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors associated with low, moderate, and high PA and predictive probabilities were calculated for interaction terms, incorporating ethnicity and blood pressure variables. Overall, 42.33% of participants belonged to the moderately active PA group and 21.90% belonged to the highly active group. In the final multinomial regression model, it was found that having gone to college increased the odds of being in the moderately active PA group (coef. = 1.96, p = 0.034), while having high blood pressure reduced the odds of being in the moderately active PA group (coef. = -2.21, p = 0.022). Lastly, being Korean versus Filipino reduced the odds of being in the highly active category (coef. = -2.89, p = 0.035). Based on predictive probabilities, Koreans and Filipinos with high blood pressure were more likely to belong in the low active PA category (52.31% and 46.33%). These findings highlight the need for culturally relevant PA interventions for promoting and increasing PA levels to prevent and manage hypertension among these populations.