Abstract
Data on Arab American health is lacking nationwide. This survey of the Arab American community in southwest Brooklyn assessed perceptions of health status, needs, behaviors, and access to services. Bilingual interviewers administered a structured survey to community members in public gathering places. Of 353 surveyed, 43% were men and 57% women, most spoke Arabic and were Muslim, and most had moved to the U.S. after 1990. One quarter were unemployed. Over 50% reported household incomes below federal poverty level. Nearly 30% had no health insurance. 58% reported choosing their health care venue based on language considerations. 43% reported problems in getting health care, including ability to pay, language barriers, and immigration. 42% of men, and 8% of women reported current smoking. Almost half of respondents never exercised. Rates of poverty, lack of health insurance, and smoking in men are cause for concern and were high even for immigrant groups.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank: New York City Councilmen Vincent Gentile and Dominic Recchia for support; the City of New York for funding; the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for administering the project; the board of directors of the Arab American Association of New York for critiquing the survey; Ahmad Jaber, MD, for support through the entire process of training and data gathering; Vance Mauro and Dana Evans for data processing and analysis; Laura Gabbe, MS, for assistance with writing and editing; and all those who conducted interviews.
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Sarsour, L., Tong, V.S., Jaber, O. et al. Health Assessment of the Arab American Community in Southwest Brooklyn. J Community Health 35, 653–659 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-010-9260-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-010-9260-7