Studies Look at Preventive Care Use Among Mexican Immigrants, Cardiovascular Disease Risks for Asian Indians
The following summarizes research from the August 2008 edition of the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.
- "Access to Preventive Services for Adults of Mexican Origin": The study looks at preventive care use among Mexican immigrants in the U.S., the largest contemporary immigrant group in the nation. Researchers found that among Mexican immigrants, those who have recently arrived in the U.S. are the least likely to receive preventive care services, even after taking into account sociodemographic differences. Those who stay in the U.S. for long periods of time have similar use of preventive care services as Mexican-Americans born in the U.S. The study also found that Spanish-speaking Mexican immigrants were the least likely to have received preventive care services. Researchers also found that a lack of a primary care provider was the strongest predictor of underuse of preventive care. The study concludes that the "persistent gap in preventive services across all subgroups of adults of Mexican origin suggests structural barriers to their preventive care" (Wallace et al., Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, August 2008).
- "Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Risk Factors in Asian Indians": The study looks at metabolic syndrome, lifestyle behaviors, and perception and knowledge of current health and cardiovascular disease among 143 Asian Indian adults in the U.S. Researchers found that 32% of the group had metabolic syndrome, a higher rate than the average of other groups. Asian Indian participants also had high physical inactivity and were unaware of the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases. Diet, age, time living in the U.S., how participants rated their own physical and mental health, and body mass index all were significant predictors of metabolic syndrome (Balasubramanyam et al., Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, August 2008).