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Predictors of Hypertension Among Filipino Immigrants in the Northeast US

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Abstract

Hypertension remains disproportionately high among Filipinos compared to other racial and ethnic minority populations, and little research on cardiovascular disease risk factors has been conducted among Filipino immigrants in the Northeastern part of the United States. To determine hypertension prevalence and risk factors among Filipino Americans in the New York City area, blood pressure and other clinical measurements were taken from a sample of Filipino Americans during 119 community health screenings conducted between 2006 and 2010. Additional socio-demographic and health-related characteristics were also collected via a cross-sectional survey. A total of 1,028 Filipino immigrants completed the survey and had clinical readings collected. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression were performed in order to predict and assess risk factors for hypertension among our sample. Fifty-three percent of individuals were hypertensive, and half of hypertensive individuals were uninsured. Logistic regression indicated that older age, male gender, living in the United States for over 5 years, a BMI greater than 23.0 kg/m2, an elevated glucose reading, a family history of hypertension, and fair or poor self-reported health status were predictors of hypertension. There is a great need to develop more effective community-based interventions in the Filipino community to address cardiovascular health disparities.

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Acknowledgments

This publication was made possible by Grant Numbers R24MD001786 and P60MD000538 from the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIH NIMHD), and U48DP001904 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH NIMHD and CDC. This publication would not be possible without the support of the staff, members, and leadership of the Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., who have given their time and expertise in designing and implementing this project. The authors would also like to thank the community health workers for their contributions in engaging stakeholders and recruiting study participants: Romerico Foz, Leonida Gamboa, Yves Nibungco, Hanalei Ramos, Henry Soliveres. The authors are especially grateful to all the community members who participated in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Departments of Population Health and Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, VZN Suite 842, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Rhodora A. Ursua, Nadia Shilpi Islam, David E. Aguilar, Laura C. Wyatt & Chau Trinh-Shevrin

  2. General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    S. Darius Tandon

  3. Kalusugan Coalition, Inc., Woodside, NY, USA

    Noilyn Abesamis-Mendoza, Potri Ranka Manis Queano Nur, Josephine Rago-Adia & Benjamin Ileto

  4. Institute of Community Health and Research, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Mariano J. Rey

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  1. Rhodora A. Ursua
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  2. Nadia Shilpi Islam
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  3. David E. Aguilar
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  11. Chau Trinh-Shevrin
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Correspondence to Rhodora A. Ursua.

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Ursua, R.A., Islam, N.S., Aguilar, D.E. et al. Predictors of Hypertension Among Filipino Immigrants in the Northeast US. J Community Health 38, 847–855 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9689-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9689-6

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