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Asian-American Health Disparities Prevention

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Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion

Introduction

Asian Americans are among the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the USA. According to US Census data, approximately 17.3 million individuals, or 5.6 % of the US population, self-identify as Asian American, whose population has grown by 46 % in the last 10 years (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). The number of Asian Americans is expected to increase to 40.6 million, or 9 % of the US population, by the year 2050. Despite this rapid increase, there is a dearth of research to inform practice with regard to healthcare use by various Asian American groups. There is statistical evidence stating that on average, Asian Americans are at an advantage compared to other ethnic and racial minorities in regard to education, income, and other health indicators, which has led to the “model minority” myth (Humes & McKinnon, 2000). The aggregated statistics, however, gloss over the fact that some groups have greater advantages in these areas and others have fewer. The model minority...

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Kim, W., Keefe, R.H., Linn, B.K. (2014). Asian-American Health Disparities Prevention. In: Gullotta, T.P., Bloom, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5999-6_308

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5999-6_308

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