Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: The majority of studies examining the role of neighborhoods and hypertension-related outcomes have been quantitative in nature and very few studies have examined specific disadvantaged populations, including low-income housing residents. The objective of this study was to use qualitative interviews to explore low-income Black women's perceptions of their neighborhoods and to understand how those perceptions may affect their health, especially as it relates to blood pressure. METHODS: Seventeen Black female participants, living in public housing communities in New York City, completed one semi-structured, audiotaped interview in July of 2014. All interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emerging themes using N'Vivo 10 software. RESULTS: Three major themes emerged: (1) social connectedness, (2) stress factors, and (3) availability of food options. For example, factors that caused stress varied throughout the study population. Sources of stress included family members, employment, and uncleanliness within the neighborhood. Many participants attributed their stress to personal issues, such as lack of employment and relationships. In addition, the general consensus among many participants was that there should be a greater density of healthy food options in their neighborhoods. Some believed that the pricing of fresh foods in the neighborhoods should better reflect the financial status of the residents in the community. CONCLUSIONS: Various neighborhood influences, including neighborhood disorder and lack of healthy food options, are factors that appear to increase Black women's risk of developing high blood pressure. Implications of this research include the need to develop interventions that promote good neighborhood infrastructure (e.g. healthy food stores to encourage good nutrition habits and well-lit walking paths to encourage daily exercise), in addition to interventions that increase hypertension awareness in low-income neighborhoods.

BACKGROUND: Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States. Chinese Americans and their counterparts in Chinese countries have been shown to have an elevated risk of stroke compared to non-Hispanic Whites, while South Asian Americans and their counterparts in South Asian countries have an elevated risk of heart disease. Exactly how cardiovascular disease morbidity varies by Asian subgroup, however, is not well understood. The purpose of this analysis was to identify differences in clinical presentation and lifestyle behaviors between Chinese and South Asian American immigrants vs. non-Hispanic Whites in a representative sample of adults with self-report of physician-diagnosed hypertension. METHODS: Data on adults with self-reported hypertension were obtained from the New York City Community Health Survey 2009-2013 (Chinese: n = 555; South Asian: n = 144; non-Hispanic White: n = 5,987). RESULTS: Compared to non-Hispanic Whites with hypertension, foreign-born Chinese adults with hypertension were of a much lower socioeconomic profile and less likely to have private health insurance, and foreign-born Chinese and South Asian adults with hypertension had lower body mass index (BMI) values (25.3, 26.0 vs. 28.7kg/m2; P < 0.001). South Asians were younger than non-Hispanic Whites (mean age: 49.5 vs. 62.1 years; P < 0.001) and had poorer diet quality. BMI and diet quality results persisted in multivariable regression models. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study highlight important clinical distinctions in hypertensive Chinese and South Asian immigrant communities with respect to age and body size. Whether targeted and culturally appropriate approaches would reduce cardiovascular disease-related mortality in these groups needs further study.

OBJECTIVE: Using 2004 New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES) data, we sought to examine variation in hypertension (HTN) prevalence across eight Asian and Hispanic subgroups. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: New York City, 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Logistic regression was performed to identify differences in HTN prevalence between ethnic subgroups controlling for age, sex, education and BMI. RESULTS: Overall HTN prevalence among NYC adults was 25.5% (95% CI: 23.4-27.8), with 21.1% (95% CI: 18.2-24.3) among Whites, 32.8% (95% CI: 28.7-37.2) Black, 26.4% (95% CI: 22.3-31.0) Hispanics, and 24.7% (95% CI: 19.9-30.3) Asians. Among Hispanic subgroups, Dominicans had the highest HTN prevalence (32.2%), followed by Puerto Ricans (27.7%), while Mexicans had the lowest prevalence (8.1%). Among Asian subgroups, HTN prevalence was slightly higher among South Asians (29.9%) than among Chinese (21.3%). Adjusting for age, Dominican adults were nearly twice as likely to have HTN as non-Hispanic (NH) Whites (OR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.24-3.12), but this was attenuated after adjusting for sex and education (OR=1.27, 95% CI: .76 - 2.12). When comparing South Asians with NH Whites, results were also non-significant after adjustment (OR=2.00, 95% CI: .90-4.43). CONCLUSIONS: When analyzing racial/ethnic subgroups, NH Black and Hispanic adults from Dominican Republic had the highest HTN prevalence followed by South Asian and Puerto Rican adults. Mexican adults had the lowest prevalence of all groups. These findings highlight that ethnic subgroup differences go undetected when stratified by broader racial/ethnic categories. To our knowledge, this is the first population-based study using objective measures to highlight these differences.

INTRODUCTION: South Asians experience high rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, coupled with low rates of reported physical activity. We report findings from a qualitative sub-study that was conducted in 2013 among Bangladeshi immigrants in New York City to understand factors that affect physical activity practices and weight management in this community. METHODS: Qualitative study participants were recruited from community-based settings. Sex-specific focus groups were conducted by trained community health workers. Proceedings were audio-recorded for translation and transcription and coded using a constant comparative approach. Data were coded using Atlas.ti software. RESULTS: Six focus groups were completed with a final sample of 67 participants (63% male, 37% female). Mean participant age was 42 years; mean years of residence in the United States was 12. Key themes that emerged were beliefs about modesty and sex-separated facilities that may prevent women from engaging in physical activity. Distinctions were made between men and women about what constitutes exercise versus physical activity; religious prayer was considered to be health-promoting because of the movement involved. Other important themes that emerged were cultural dietary practices and evolving conceptions of healthy weight. CONCLUSION: Tailored interventions that take into account the cultural context of this growing community are needed. Findings may also provide insight into barriers to health promotion experienced by other US Muslim communities, which are growing rapidly.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationships between self-reported discrimination (SRD) and mental and physical health (self-reported physical health conditions and direct, physiologic measures [BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure]) among Sikh Asian Indians (AI), a group that may be particularly discriminated against because of physical manifestations of their faith, including a tendency to wear turbans or ethnic clothing. METHODS: Sikh AIs (N = 196) were recruited from Sikh gurdwaras in Queens, New York. Data were collected on SRD, social support, and self-reported health, along with multiple direct physiological measures for cardiovascular health. RESULTS: Participants who wore turbans/scarves reported higher levels of discrimination than those who did not wear turbans/scarves. As hypothesized, multiple regression analysis supported that discrimination is significantly associated with poorer self-reported mental (B = -.53, p < .001) and physical health (B = -.16, p = .04) while controlling for socioeconomic, acculturation, and social support factors. The study did not support an association between SRD and physiologic measures (elevated BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure). CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous discrimination and health reports, this study demonstrated an inverse relationship between discrimination and health among Sikh AIs, an understudied yet high-risk minority population. Community-based efforts are also needed to reduce the occurrence or buffer the effects of discrimination experienced by Sikh AIs. (PsycINFO Database Record

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a leading sleep disorder that is disproportionately more prevalent in minority populations and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. OSA is associated with many chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, all of which are disproportionately more prevalent among blacks (ie, peoples of African American, Caribbean, or African descent). METHODS: This article reviews studies conducted in the United States (US) that investigated sleep screenings and adherence to treatment for OSA among blacks. In addition, guidelines are provided for implementing a practical framework to increase OSA screening and management among blacks. RESULTS: Several studies have documented racial/ethnic disparities in adherence to treatment for OSA. However, despite its public health significance, there is a paucity of studies addressing these disparities. Further, there is a lack of health programs and policies to increase screening and treatment of OSA among blacks and other minority populations. A practical framework to increase the number of blacks who are screened for OSA and treated appropriately is warranted. Such a framework is timely and major importance, as early identification of OSA in this high-risk population could potentially lead to early treatment and prevention of CVD, thereby reducing racial and ethnic disparities in sleep-related CVD morbidity and mortality.

We examined the association between years living in the United States and overweight risk among a community sample of Filipino adult immigrants living in the New York metropolitan area. We found a significant and adverse association between years living in the United States and overweight risk. Compared with Filipinos who lived in the United States less than 5 years, those who lived in the United States 10 years or longer had a higher overweight risk; this association was present only among Filipinos who migrated to New York metropolitan area at 30 years of age or younger. Studies on causal mechanisms explaining this pattern are needed.

PURPOSE: To explore correlates of meeting recommended physical activity (PA) goals among middle-aged and older Korean Americans at risk for diabetes mellitus (DM). DESIGN AND METHODS: PA patterns and their correlates were assessed among 292 middle-aged and older Korean Americans at risk for DM living in New York City using cross-sectional design of baseline information from a diabetes prevention intervention. PA was assessed by self-report of moderate and vigorous activity, results were stratified by age group (45-64 and 65-75 years), and bivariate analyses compared individuals performing less than sufficient PA and individuals performing sufficient PA. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios predicting sufficient PA. FINDINGS: After adjusting for sex, age group, years lived in the United States, marital status, health insurance, and body mass index (BMI), sufficient PA was associated with male sex, older age, lower BMI, eating vegetables daily, and many PA-specific questions (lack of barriers, confidence, and engagement). When stratified by age group, male sex and eating vegetables daily was no longer significant among Koreans 65 to 75 years of age, and BMI was not significant for either age group. CONCLUSIONS: PA interventions targeting this population may be beneficial and should consider the roles of sex, age, physical and social environment, motivation, and self-efficacy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinical providers should understand the unique motivations for PA among Korean Americans and recognize the importance of culturally driven strategies to enable lifestyle changes and support successful aging for diverse populations.

Health information can potentially mitigate adverse health outcomes among ethnic minority populations, but little research has examined how minorities access health information. The aim of this study was to examine variations in the use of health information sources among Asian American (AA) subgroups and to identify differences in characteristics associated with the use of these sources. We analyzed data from a foreign-born community sample of 219 Asian Indians, 216 Bangladeshis, 484 Chinese, and 464 Koreans living in New York City. Results found that use of health information sources varied by AA subgroup. Print media source use, which included newspapers, magazines, and/or journals, was highest among Chinese (84%), Koreans (75%), and Bangladeshis (80%), while radio was most utilized by Chinese (48%) and Koreans (38%). Television utilization was highest among Bangladeshis (74%) and Koreans (64%). Koreans (52%) and Chinese (40%) were most likely to use the Internet to access health information. Radio use was best explained by older age and longer time lived in the United States, while print media were more utilized by older individuals. Results also highlighted differences in native-language versus non-native-language media sources for health information by subgroup. Media sources can be used as a vehicle to disseminate health information among AAs.

Recent initiatives have focused on the dissemination of evidence-based policy, systems, and environmental (EBPSE) strategies to reduce health disparities. Targeted, community-level efforts are needed to supplement these approaches for comparable results among Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs).The STRIVE Project funded 15 Asian American and NHPI community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement culturally adapted strategies. Partners reached more than 1.4 million people at a cost of $2.04 per person. CBOs are well positioned to implement EBPSE strategies to reduce health disparities.