Numerous social and structural factors, including immigration status, socioeconomic position and access to health care, contribute to differences in cardiovascular health and heart disease risk for Asian Americans, and these factors affect Asian ethnic subgroups in different ways, according to a new scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation . This AHA scientific statement, "Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Health in Asian Americans," highlights the evidence for the role of social determinants of health in cardiovascular health among Asian American adults and identifies future directions for research to advance health equity for the Asian American population and reduce health disparities in these communities. Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the United States, with a population projected to reach up to approximately 46 million by 2060.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Asian Americans will represent more than 10% of the total U.
S. population at that time. However, Asian Americans remain persistently underrepresented as participants in medical research.
Previous studies have found that Asian Americans are less willing to participate in health research compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Research conducted exclusively in English may also result in underrepresentation of Asian American individuals with lower English proficiency from different Asian ethnic subgroups. "Due to the small numbers of.