Utah Asians Fare Better Than General Population on Several Health Factors, Report Says

Asians living in Utah are less likely to suffer from chronic health conditions and are generally in better health than the general population, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Utah Department of Health, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The report is part of a research series the state released examining health disparities among the state's ethnic populations. Reports on Hispanics, Pacific Islanders and blacks have already been released.

According to the report, when compared with the general state population, Asians are less likely to die of heart disease, stroke and cancer and on average live four years longer. Seven percent of Asians in the state are obese, compared with 21% of the general population, which in part explains why they experience fewer chronic health conditions, according to the report.

The report, however, indicated that Asian women are two times more likely to have gestational diabetes and slightly more likely to have a low birthweight infant. While obesity is a risk factor for gestational diabetes among most women, maternal age is a risk factor specifically for Asian women, April Bennett of the health department's Center for Multicultural Health, said. Women over age 25 are at a greater risk for developing gestational diabetes, and in 2007, Asian and Pacific Islanders in Utah were more likely than white women to be older than 30 at the time of birth.

Lynda Blades -- the health department's physical activity, nutrition and obesity program manager -- said, "Asians generally have smaller skeletal frames than other racial groups and their traditional eating habits center around fruits and vegetables, with relatively smaller portions of starch and meat compared to the typical American diet," which likely contributes to their overall better health (May, Salt Lake Tribune, 2/24).

The report is available online (.pdf).