Health Status of Immigrants … Bajracharya et al. Health Status of Immigrants from Nepal in the United States: Preliminary Findings and Methodological Issues

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived health status, health behaviors, family values and relationships of a select group of Nepalese in the US. Nepalese are a small minority group most often categorized in the U.S. under the Asian and Pacific Islanders cluster. A modified BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) survey was used to facilitate comparison with U.S. national data. One hundred and ten people attending an annual Nepalese convention completed the survey. Results indicated that although smoking behavior of Nepalese was similar to that of Americans, cancer screening and exercise behaviors varied significantly. Several methodological issues with regard to data collection were encountered. Most notably, the respondents skipped many BRFSS questions. This raises some significant questions about the representation of Nepalese Americans and other Asian and Pacific Islander groups in the national BRFSS data. Under-representation of Nepalese may be masking significant health problems among members of this so-called “model minority”, and in effect limiting their representation in the national health care agenda. Different and varied methodologies need to be employed to better understand the health care needs of this and other Asian and Pacific Islander groups