Page 38 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

16 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

Asian Indian and Filipino households had the highest median incomes (U.S. Census
Bureau, 2007b). Still, about 12 percent of Asians lived below poverty level, compared
to 9 percent of non - Hispanic whites (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007b).
In 2003, a high percentage of Asians had private health insurance coverage, but
that also varied by subgroup. For example, 84 percent of Chinese had private insur-
ance coverage, followed by 81 percent of Filipinos, and 76 percent of Vietnamese
(OMH, 2007). It is also significant to note that Asian women have the highest life

expectancy of any racial and ethnic group in the United States, and Chinese women
have the longest life expectancy among all the Asian subgroups. Still, Asians contend
with several factors affecting their health, including infrequent medical visits and lan-
guage and cultural barriers (OMH, 2007). Finally, Asians are at higher risk than others
for cancer, heart disease, stroke, unintentional injuries, diabetes, pulmonary disease,
hepatitis B, smoking-related illnesses, tuberculosis, and liver diseases.

Pacifi c Islanders

Pacific Islanders are people who are natives of Hawaii and other Pacifi c islands,
including people of Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian backgrounds (U.S. Cen-
sus Bureau, 2007e). Pacifi c Islanders differ in language and culture across many sub-
groups. According to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, close to 1 million Pacifi c
Islanders, or less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, were residing in the United

States in that year. Over 50 percent of the Pacific Islander population resided in
two states: California and Hawaii (OMH, 2007; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007e). In 2004,
the median age for this group was 11 years less than the median age of non - Hispanic
whites. Almost three - fourths of the population was under the age of 44, with nearly 30
percent under the age of 18 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007e). In addition, approximately
53 percent of Pacific Islanders aged 15 years and older were married, compared to

57 percent of the non - Hispanic white population. The majority of Pacifi c Islander
households were family households (78 percent), with over 50 percent maintained by
married couples. Interestingly, approximately 10 percent of Pacific Islander grandpar-

ents were living with their coresident grandchildren, with 35 percent of grandparents
responsible for grandchildren ’ s care (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007e). Almost 86 percent
of the Pacifi c Islanders were U.S. citizens by birth (78.7 percent) or by naturalization
(6.8 percent), and 89 percent of them spoke only English at home or spoke English
very well.

When it came to education, a high percentage of Pacific Islanders had graduated
from high school (86 percent) and 16 percent had attained a bachelor ’ s degree or higher
level of education (OMH, 2007; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007e). In 2004, approximately

one - third of Pacific Islanders were employed in sales or office occupations and
almost one - fourth were employed in management, professional, and related occupa-

tions. The median household income for Pacific Islanders of $ 47,400 was similar to that

for non - Hispanic whites. Still, 18 percent of Pacific Islanders were living under the pov-
erty level compared to 9 percent of non - Hispanic whites (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007e).

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