By Khalida Sarwari
Nearly one in four Vietnamese men in Santa Clara County is a smoker, according to a new health assessment report released today.
The report, titled “Status of Vietnamese Health,” is a six-month study conducted by the county’s public health department to provide a profile of health care access, physical and mental health, and risk factors among Vietnamese residents.
The findings suggested that the Vietnamese community faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with roughly one in 10 Vietnamese families living in poverty from 2007 to 2009 — higher than for families in the county overall and for families of all other major racial groups except Hispanics, according to the report.
Furthermore, the report indicates that due to financial struggles, some families are at risk for food insecurity, some face challenges in housing, and some grapple with a lack of English proficiency, which makes it difficult to navigate the health care system.
The study found that the Vietnamese population is affected by lack of access to health insurance, with more than one in four Vietnamese adults lacking health care coverage in 2011.
In 2011, cancer was the leading cause of death among Vietnamese residents, according to the report. Specific cancers common in the community are lung cancer, cervical cancer, and liver cancer.
Other diseases facing the community include angina and coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and mental health issues, according to the report.
Residents born in Vietnam had one of the highest rates of tuberculosis infection in the county compared to those from other countries of birth, according to the report.
Smoking is prevalent in the community, the study found. The smoking prevalence for men this year — one in four — was almost twice as high as that of men in the county as a whole in 2009, according to the report.
The study was initiated in January by county Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese. The ultimate aim, he said, is to give policymakers and elected officials, as well as community-based organizations and researchers a better understanding of the health of the Vietnamese population in Santa Clara County, which — after Orange County — is the second largest of any county in the country.
“Santa Clara County has one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside of Vietnam, yet it is underserved,” said Cortese. “The county needs to understand the precise needs of specific populations so that we can better allocate scarce public health funds. This health assessment does just that.”
Information was gathered through a telephone survey, community event and online surveys, interviews with key community leaders, and a community forum.
The results were announced at a news conference in San Jose this morning.
The full report is available online at www.sccphd.org.
