Asthma in a Vietnamese refugee population

Asians and Pacific Islanders comprise a large and growing minority group in the United States, yet data on health status specific to these populations are scant. We conducted an epidemiologic study of asthma in a Vietnamese refugee population to estimate prevalence, evaluate risk factors, and better understand treatments of asthma among Vietnamese individuals. One hundred twenty-four asthma cases were identified from a population of 2,536 new Vietnamese refugees in San Diego (prevalence = 49 per 1,000; 4.9%). Two nonasthmatic control groups of Vietnamese refugees, matched for age and gender with the asthma cases, were recruited for a case-control study, using a questionnaire administered in Vietnamese. Vietnamese asthmatic individuals used both Western and non-Western therapies. Most subjects used traditional health practices, such as coining, cupping, and oil inhalation. As compared with current-refugee controls, the asthmatic subjects used significantly more bleeding (OR: 3.40; 95% CI: 1.06 to 10.80) and herbal ingestion (OR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.08 to 3.19). As compared with former-refugee controls, the asthmatic subjects used significantly more oil inhalation (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.45 to 4.85), bleeding (OR: 8.64, 95% CI: 1.02 to 73.70), and herbal ingestion (OR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.02 to 3.67). The presentation and recognition of asthma among the Vietnamese subjects were similar to those in other populations. This information may be helpful in designing culture-specific health-education programs.