No epidemiological studies on cardiovascular disease (CVD) were conducted on Hmong refugees arriving to the U.S. from 1970s to 1990s. This study measured prevalence of CVD and CVD risk factors in Hmong refugees newly arriving from Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand 2004-2006. Cross-sectional study of 1,462 Hmong refugees who received refugee screening exams at seven primary care clinics in St. Paul MN, June 2004-March 2006. In younger age group (N = 988, 0-20 years old), overweight equaled 13.7%, hypertension = 8.2%, pre-hypertension = 9.6% and in a subset, hyperglycemia equaled 20.7% and hyperlipidemia = 13.5%. In older age group (N = 448, >20 years old), overweight equaled 33.4%, obese = 14.8%, hypertension = 16.5%, and pre-hypertension = 36.2%. In a subset, diabetes mellitus = 2.8%, hyperglycemia = 31.7%, hyperlipidemia = 25.8%, renal insufficiency = 9%, and hyperuricemia = 11.7%. Hmong refugees had significant CVD risk factors on arrival. Healthcare providers and public health officers must identify CVD in addition to infectious diseases when refugees arrive in the U.S. and must address long-term care in order to forestall the development of CVD.

Objective. The prevalence of gout is on the rise worldwide, especially among newly industrialized populations. We evaluated the prevalence of gout in the recently established Hmong of Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) compared with that in non-Hmong populations. Methods. The prevalence of self-reported gout in the Hmong population was estimated from 2 cross-sectional community surveys and compared with national data extrapolated from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed gout in Hmong and non-Hmong MSP residents was separately estimated from the diagnosis codes of 11 MSP primary care clinics. Results. The prevalence of self-reported gout among MSP Hmong was 2-fold higher than in the general US population (6.5% versus 2.9%; P < 0.001). Although women of both groups reported gout at a rate of 1.9%, Hmong men were significantly more likely than their non-Hmong counterparts to report gout (11.5% versus 4.1%; P < 0.001). Similar results were observed when investigating physician-diagnosed gout in MSP (2.8% Hmong versus 1.5% non-Hmong; P < 0.001). No difference was observed between the women of the 2 groups (0.8% versus 0.7%; P ‫؍‬ 0.833), whereas Hmong men were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with gout compared with their non-Hmong counterparts (6.1% versus 2.5%; P < 0.001). Among Hmong men, advancing age was associated with a considerably higher likelihood of being diagnosed with gout. Conclusion. A significant association is observed between Hmong ethnicity and gout, both self-reported and physician diagnosed. This unique population may provide an opportunity to further our understanding of the pathophysiology of gout.

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Many Hmong refugees continue their cultural tradition of farming in the United States. The purpose of this project was to evaluate culturally based storytelling as a method to convey farming safety information to Hmong families. Hmong have an oral tradition; spoken stories are used to teach about heritage, as well as personal and social values, and end with a lesson or moral that can apply to their lives. Stories from "Orphan Boy the Farmer" illustrate hazards, behaviors, consequences, and control strategies related to farm work typical of Hmong farming in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The message of the 3 stories is that the successful farmer works safely and keeps his children safe from injury. Three stories were read, in Hmong, at 6 events in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Data were collected from 118 participants using focus group discussions. Transcripts were translated and analyzed to identify ideas and reactions to the stories expressed by participants. Findings indicate that storytelling was an appealing delivery method for most of the participants of this study. Participants were able to recount story content pertaining to farming safety and relate messages to their experiences dealing with hazards; unanticipated findings uncovered barriers to adopting safe practices. Several aspects of the storytelling performance influence its effectiveness. Development of folktale content and implementation of storytelling performances are described.

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