Even though Filipino Americans are one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the U.S., relatively little research has been conducted on this minority group’s health status, risk behaviors and health promotion practices. This lack of comprehensive and consistent data makes it extremely difficult for medical and nursing professionals to understand Filipino Americans’ health care needs and develop culturally appropriate disease prevention strategies.
A recent study sponsored by the Philippine Nurses Association of Northern California has taken some important steps forward in beginning to fill this information gap. A bilingual (English/Tagalog) team of nurse researchers from the association surveyed a sample of 163 Filipino Americans at health fairs held in the San Francisco Bay Area. The participants were born in the Philippines but had lived in America for a mean average of 18.8 years; their average age was 58. They were asked to fill out a brief health survey with questions asked in English followed by a Tagalog translation in parentheses.
The study’s results, published last year in The Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health, found that the majority of respondents (70.6%) rated their overall health as “good”—despite the fact that many also reported being treated for medical conditions, such as hypertension, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiac problems and diabetes.
The findings also suggest that older Filipino Americans lead healthy lifestyles that significantly lower their health risks. A strong 48% of the total sample said they exercised daily, while only 7.4% smoked and 4.3% drank alcohol daily. Most participants reported visiting their physicians and dentists regularly. However, younger Filipino Americans were more likely to smoke, suggesting a need for culturally competent smoking cessation programs targeted specifically to this group.
“These [overall] results are consistent with individuals who value health and engage in health-promoting behaviors,” the study concludes, “and with a population that has better health than native-born Americans, despite living in the U.S. for more than 10 years.”