ASSESSING THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF FILIPINO AMERICANS IN GREATER LONG BEACH

The main goal of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Filipino American population in the greater Long Beach area regarding their current health status and health care needs. In order to assess the health status and health care needs of Filipino Americans in Long Beach, a survey questionnaire (Filipino American Community Health Survey) was developed following a thorough literature review. The survey data was entered and analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Science. A total of 193 surveys were collected from consenting adult participants. The study results showed that Filipino Americans have a good health and are satisfied with the Long Beach health care system. On the other hand, smoking, mental health issues, lack of exercising and receiving mammograms amongst Filipino women are areas of concern. There needs to be more in-depth research on factors that influence the prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases in this population.