Asian/Pacific American Elderly: Mortality Differentials, Health Status, and Use of Health Services

Abstract

Asian/Pacific Americans are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population today. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: (1) to provide a description of the mortality differentials, health status, and health services utilization of these Asian/Pacific Islanders and elderly based on records maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics and other findings reported by individual researchers, and (2) to show that there is an urgent need to gather accurate and specific data so that their needs can be assessed realistically. A socio-demographic profile will be presented, followed by a discussion of health behavior and health services utilization. Thus far, the health needs and health services utilization relative to white and black Americans have been ignored. Studies of the Asian/Pacific Americans' needs have been unsystematic and fragmentary. Many of the existing findings come from sample and non-professional studies by service providers on conditions and services rather than from studies conducted by trained investigators. Thus, the cycle of 'no statistics, no problems' has been a persistent problem in dealing with their needs. The concommitant problems of housing congestion, language barriers, under- or non-utilization of medical services also need to be remedied. In addition, their medical systems, the role of culture in health care, and the impact of western medicine should be examined in detail.