South Asian health is focus of local study
By Rao Andavolu, M.D., Special to The Packet
In 1976, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare conducted a famous study that looked at the elderly residents of Okinawa, who were experiencing one of the highest longevity rates in the world while enjoying outstanding health well into old age.
The Okinawa Centenarian Study looked at such factors as genetics, diet and exercise habits to help explain the reasons why this population aged so gracefully. The data gathered in this study was used to develop health recommendations to improve the lives of all people, no matter what their racial or ethnic background may be.
Historically, health studies like this which look into a particular population have also been used to develop new protocols and health recommendations that are specific to an ethnic group and cognizant of its special needs and conditions. Health care that is culturally sensitive is a key aspect of assuring that the challenges of promoting health are met, especially in a society within our state and across the country that is virtually exploding with diversity.
Recognizing this need, the Community Education & Outreach Program of Princeton HealthCare System has teamed up with the Indian American Civic Forum and the Plainsboro Police Department to sponsor a Community Health and Safety Fair. It will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon at the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, located at 90 Grovers Mill Road in Plainsboro.
A key component of this fair is a study that focuses on South Asian health.
South Asians are people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other nearby countries. According to the American Community survey of the U.S. Census Bureau taken in 2005, there are an estimated five million South Asians in the United States; more than half, 55 percent, are Asian Indians. Middlesex and Mercer counties are home to a large population of South Asians who have been drawn to central New Jersey by educational and work opportunities. In the greater Princeton area, stretching from Somerset to the north and Trenton to the south, there are more than 10,000 Indian households alone, with an average of 3.1 individuals in each household.
Physicians and staff from Princeton HealthCare System will be on hand to register study participants and to take a blood sample. There will be 18 different tests performed on the blood sample, including a lipid profile, hemoglobin count, and fasting blood glucose numbers. The goal is to establish a reference range for various laboratory tests in South Asians.
What does that mean? When you get a lab test done — for cholesterol or glucose (“sugar”), for example — you are told whether your value is normal or abnormal. That number is based on something called a “reference range,” which was determined decades ago based on data collected from the general population — a population that, until recently, did not include a large number of South Asians.
But now, with the changing demographics and population growth, the time is right to establish a new reference range for this population. If the new data shows no difference from the previously determined values, it would indicate there is little difference due to ethnicity. On the other hand, if those values are found to be significantly different, the study could form a basis for evaluating the health of South Asians in a different way.
The data could help improve the health of the overall South Asian community by potentially leading to better and early treatment of some disorders that are prevalent in the South Asian population, such as anemia, heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer. The benefit to study volunteers is that they will receive a meaningful personal health profile. If something is abnormal in their blood work, they can address it right away with their health care professional before symptoms appear.
Men and women between the ages of 18 and 45 with no medical conditions are needed for this study. Participants should be born in South Asian countries or to parents with South Asian roots. Pregnant women, physically disabled individuals and people taking medication of any kind are not eligible. Those interested in participating in the study should arrive between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. after fasting from 8 p.m. the night before. They will be asked to answer several health questions and fill out a consent form. After a blood sample is drawn, participants will be given breakfast, and then sent on to enjoy the rest of the health fair and continue their day.
There is no fee associated with the study. Participation is voluntary. Blood work results will be mailed directly to the participants within two weeks of the testing and a telephone number will be provided to call in case of need. All results are confidential.
Sometimes, because of language and cultural barriers, South Asian Americans are unable to access health education and health care services. Results of this study will add to the knowledge about South Asian health risks and will help health care professionals explore strategies for effective outreach to the South Asian community with regard to health education, disease prevention and treatment.
Any questions about the South Asian Health Study can be addressed to Sonia Patel, R.N., with PHCS Community Education & Outreach at 609-897-8993. Advance registration is not required, but requested. Walk-ins will be accepted. You can contact PHCS Community Education & Outreach at 888-897-8979. You can also visit online at www.princetonhcs.org, where you will find the consent form, which can be filled out in advance, before you arrive at the health fair.
Rao Andavolu, M.D., FCAP, FAABB,
Pathologist and director,part of Princeton HealthCare System
Blood Bank at University Medical Center at Princeton, a