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Addressing a Growing Community’s Health Needs: Project SAHNA (South Asian Health Needs Assessment)

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Abstract

Limited data and research is available on the health issues faced by the South Asian population, especially for those living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Online and in-person surveys were administered to a convenience sample (n = 709) of South Asians living in the metropolitan Washington DC region. The survey gathered information on socio-demographics and acculturation; health care access and utilization; sources of health information; perceptions of community health; physical activity and smoking. While over 70 % of participants had a routine physical exam in the last 12 months, foreign born and less acculturated adults were less likely to have had a routine visit in the last 12 months. Internet (76.9 %) and physicians (76.1 %) are key sources of health information for South Asians. Only 29 % of South Asians are engaging in the recommended amount of physical activity per week. The results of this study provide guidance for future work in addressing the health and well-being of South Asian communities in the United States.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Karishma Anand, Subha Chandar, Swetha Desai, Sweta Dharia, Librada Estrada, Kristen Kappos, Elizabeth Leonard, Yesha Malik, Sapna Pandya, Nausheen Saeed, Arati Trivedi, Avani Patel, Rakhi Patel, Nrupa Jani, Sumitha Nagarajan, Prathima Parthasarathi, Dr. Manasi Tirodkar, Dr. Ushma Upadhyay and Marisa Schnider. We appreciate the support and cooperation of local community and faith-based organizations, and we are incredibly grateful to all the community members who participated in this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Prevention and Community Health, The George Washington University, 2175 K Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC, 20037, USA

    Amita N. Vyas & Megan Landry

  2. The George Washington University, 2121 K Street, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20037, USA

    Nitasha Chaudhary

  3. American Institutes for Research, 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, Georgetown, Washington, DC, USA

    Kalpana Ramiah

Authors
  1. Amita N. Vyas
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  2. Nitasha Chaudhary
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  3. Kalpana Ramiah
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  4. Megan Landry
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Correspondence to Amita N. Vyas.

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Vyas, A.N., Chaudhary, N., Ramiah, K. et al. Addressing a Growing Community’s Health Needs: Project SAHNA (South Asian Health Needs Assessment). J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 577–583 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9655-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9655-x

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