Family Relationships, Household Strategies, and Hypertension Related Factors in Southeast Asian Refugees in the United States
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- S. Kayo Robinson (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Sudha Shreeniwas
Abstract: "This literature review examines existing studies on the Southeast Asian refugee community and their health outcomes, specifically focusing on hypertension risks linked to family relationships, nutrition, and involuntary migration experiences. The reviewed studies found that poor family relationships, change in diet, and experiences of transnational relocation contributed to poorer health. Other factors such as past trauma experience, on-going alienation, day-to-day stressors such as poverty, cultural assimilation, and language barriers caused chronic stress among this group. Chronic stress is linked to hypertension, a risk factor for stroke, cardiovascular disease, and death. Cortisol is a hormone released in the body during times of stress. This biological marker for stress can be analyzed through saliva, blood, urine, as well as hair samples. Hair samples show measurements of long-term exposure to cortisol. Prolonged high levels of cortisol is associated with hypertension. Health beliefs and concepts in Western medicine also play important roles in hypertension risk and behaviors. Yet, the literature review revealed few, if any, studies designed to capture and explain the complexity of these factors and their role in pathways associated with chronic disease prevalence among Southeast Asian refugee newcomer communities. Furthermore, the national-level data available fails to adequately represent intra-group diversity when reporting prevalence for the group. These issues have important implications for planning and implementing culturally tailored health education and awareness outreach to the Southeast Asian population, and for more research aimed at alleviating persistent health and hypertension ethnic disparities."
Family Relationships, Household Strategies, and Hypertension Related Factors in Southeast Asian Refugees in the United States
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Created on 4/27/2015
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Honors Project
- Language: English
- Date: 2015
- Keywords
- Southeast, Asian, Refugee, Immigrant, Vietnam, Laos, Hmong, Cambodia, Health, Hypertension, Family, Relationships, Stress, Literature, Review, Synthesis, Reflection, Research, Presentation