Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 21, Issue 2, 2019, Pages 346-355

A Health Profile and Overview of Healthcare Experiences of Cambodian American Refugees and Immigrants Residing in Southern California (Article)

Sharif M.Z.* , Biegler K. , Mollica R. , Sim S.E. , Nicholas E. , Chandler M. , Ngo-Metzger Q. , Paigne K. , Paigne S. , Sorkin D.H.
  • a Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • b Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
  • c Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
  • d Many Roads Studios, Toronto, ON, Canada
  • e The Children’s Clinic, Serving Children and Their Families, Long Beach, CA, United States, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
  • f The Children’s Clinic, Serving Children and Their Families, Long Beach, CA, United States, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
  • g US Preventive Services Task Force Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD, United States
  • h Community Medical Wellness Centers, Long Beach, CA, United States
  • i Community Medical Wellness Centers, Long Beach, CA, United States
  • j Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States

Abstract

Asian Americans are understudied in health research and often aggregated into one homogenous group, thereby disguising disparities across subgroups. Cambodian Americans, one of the largest refugee communities in the United States, may be at high risk for adverse health outcomes. This study compares the health status and healthcare experiences of Cambodian American refugees and immigrants. Data were collected via questionnaires and medical records from two community clinics in Southern California (n = 308). Chi square and t-tests examined the socio-demographic differences between immigrants and refugees, and ANCOVA models compared the mean differences in responses for each outcome, adjusting for age at immigration, education level, and clinic site. Cambodian American refugees reported overall lower levels of health-related quality of life (all p’s < 0.05 in unadjusted models) and self-rated health [unadjusted means (SD) = 18.2 (16.8) vs. 21.7 (13.7), p < 0.05], but either similar or more positive healthcare experiences than Cambodian American immigrants. In adjusted analyses, refugees had higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk (e.g. heart condition and hypertension; p’s < 0.05) compared to Cambodian American immigrants. There were minimal differences in self-reported health behaviors between the two groups. There is a need for more health promotion efforts among Cambodian American refugees and immigrants to improve their health outcomes and perceived wellbeing. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Author Keywords

immigrants Health status Healthcare experiences Cambodian American disparities Refugees

Index Keywords

refugee Cambodia human Health Behavior Refugees middle aged comparative study health status chronic disease ethnology qualitative research Surveys and Questionnaires Humans migrant psychology California Asian Americans male Emigrants and Immigrants Asian American female questionnaire adult Health Services Accessibility health care delivery
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85046006718&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-018-0736-3&partnerID=40&md5=c564ce1631164d3d1f20f7e49c421e85
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-018-0736-3
ISSN: 15571912
Original Language: English