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Health Insurance:

The government estimates that 15% of the general population, 17% of Asians, and 21% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were uninsured in 2007 (DeNavas-Walt et al. 2008).  Another estimate breaks down the Asian American Pacific Islander (APIA) category and found that 31% of Koreans and 24% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are uninsured (Kaiser Family Foundation and Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum 2008).  Whereas most Americans get their health coverage from their employers, nonelderly APIAs are less likely to have employer-based health coverage compared to Whites. 

Health Disparities:

Health disparities can be caused by many factors including race/ethnicity, language barriers, social determinants, insurance overage, and diversity in health care workforce.  Some of the health conditions that are prevalent in Asian American and Pacific Islander (APIA) communities are cancer, diabetes, domestic violence, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, and obesity.

Cancer:

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death for all APIAs, except Asian Indian women (Chu et al. 2005).  APIAs experience the highest prevalence rates of liver and stomach cancers compared to all other racial and ethnic groups (Office of Minority Health 2008).  Laotian, Samoan, Vietnamese, and Cambodian women are at a high risk for cervical cancer compared to White, Black, and Hispanic women (Miller et al. 2008).

Diabetes:

Asian Americans are twice as likely as the general population to develop diabetes (Joslin Diabetes Center 2008).  Despite having a lower body weight, Asian Americans are more likely to have type 2 diabetes compared to Whites (Hsu et al. 2006).

Domestic Violence:

Even though 13% of APIA women experience physical assault from an intimate partner at least once during their lifetime, which is lower than those reported by White women (21%), African American women (26%), and American Indian/Alaskan Native women (31%), community based surveys report that 41%-60% of South Asian and Japanese women experience physical and/or sexual violence (Raj et al. 2002; Yoshihama 1999). 

HIV/AIDS:

The estimated number of HIV/AIDs cases increased among APIAs, American Indians/Native Alaskans and Whites, whereas, it decreased among blacks and Hispanics from 2001 to 2005 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2007).

Obesity:

37% of APIA adults were overweight or obese in 2005 (www.statehealthfacts.org).  In California, from 1993 to 2003, obesity in APIA low income children rose more rapidly than any other ethnic group (Kim et al. 2007).