No abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing problem among Asian Americans. Based on the Centers for Disease Control, the age-adjusted prevalence of T2DM for Asian Americans is 9%, placing them at "moderate risk". However differential patterns of disease burden emerge when examining disaggregated data across Asian American ethnic groups; with Filipino, Pacific Islander, Japanese, and South Asian groups consistently described as having the highest prevalence of T2DM. Disentangling and strengthening prevalence data is vital for on-going prevention efforts. The strongest evidence currently available to guide the prevention of T2DM in the United States comes from a large multicenter randomized clinical control trial called the Diabetes Prevention Program, which targets individual lifestyle behavior changes. It has been translated and adopted for some Asian American groups, and shows promise. However stronger study designs and attention to several key methodological considerations will improve the science. Increased attention has also been directed toward population level downstream prevention efforts. Building an infrastructure that includes both individual and population approaches is needed to prevent T2DM among Asian American populations, and is essential for reducing health disparities.

This study's results corroborated the findings reported in previous research on the association of lifestyle behaviors and health status. Regardless of racial or ethnic backgrounds, good lifestyles have an important role in the prevention of poor health status. However, health education and lifestyle intervention programs should take cultural differences among racial and ethnic populations into consideration.

No abstract

The 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data was used to examine associations of bodyweight, lifestyles, and demographic variables with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and heart disease among foreign-born older Vietnamese adults. CHIS consisted of 709 Vietnamese Americans aged 50 to 85. Thirteen percent reported T2DM and 11% had heart disease. Using logistic regression, body mass index ≥ 24, age ≥ 65, and female were significantly associated with T2DM. There was significant interaction effect of alcohol consumption and psychological distress with T2DM. The interaction of vegetable consumption, poverty, and length of living in the U.S. was significantly associated with heart disease.