Journal of Asian Health

Biochemical and Nutritional Profiles in Asthma Patients with Perceived Food Allergies: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study in India

2024-02-23T18:32:34-08:00

Objective: The current study explored the biochemical and dietary profile of asthma patients with and without perceived food allergy (FA).

Methods: A case-controlled study was conducted with 286 patients (143 asthmatics with perceived food allergy and 143 age, sex, SES matched asthmatics with no perceived food allergy) aged 15-40 years. The blood sample was collected, and Food Frequency Questionnaire was recorded for laboratory investigations and nutrients calculation respectively. Relevant biochemical parameters (complete blood picture, total serum IgE etc.) were analyzed in the blood samples and macro and micronutrients (calories, protein, fat, Vit-B complex, Calcium etc.) were calculated and comparisons were made between the cases and controls.

Results: Most of the cases had higher BMI (27.5±4.82) than controls (23.3±4.51) (p≤0.05); 59(41.3%) and 46(32.2%) had BMI in the range of 25-30 and >30. The perceived food allergy in asthmatics was associated with biochemical parameters (Hb, TLC, Eosinophil counts, Monocytes, Serum IgE, Serum protein and serum calcium) and nutrients[protein(42.24±7.63g/d), fat(23.86±4.70g/d), thiamine(0.77±0.15mg/d), riboflavin(1.20±0.19mg/d), pyridoxine(1.53±0.16mg/d), folic acid(70.80±8.69µg/d), cobalamine(0.70±0.03 mg/d), ascorbicacid(34.51±4.26mg/d), calcium(304.10±62.36 mg/d), and iron(17.94±4.97 mg/d)] as compared to their counterparts with no perceived food allergy(p≤0.05).

Conclusion: Asthmatics eliminate food items based on self-perception which may lead to nutrients deficiency and abnormal blood reports. There is a need to confirm FA diagnosis and develop appropriate framework to manage FA in asthmatics. More studies are needed to estimate association of asthma and food allergy with micronutrient deficiency and Body Mass Index.

Key words: asthma, food allergy, laboratory investigations, nutrients intake, body mass index

Patient Perspectives on Utilizing a Mobile Medical Clinic in Rural Philippine Communities

2023-12-18T10:00:04-08:00

The purpose of the ABC’s for Global Health Medical Mobile Clinic (ABC-MMC) is to (1) provide primary health care services and (2) prevent and manage hypertension and type 2 diabetes in underserved rural villages (barangays) in Pampanga Province, Philippines. The aims of this study were: (1) to evaluate patient perceptions regarding ABC-MMC’s health care services; and (2) understand the barriers to and facilitators for patient engagement in ABC-MMC. This was an exploratory qualitative study conducted in November 2021 using open-ended, semi-structured focus group interviews. Participants enrolled in ABC-MMC were recruited from six of the 18 barangays served by ABC-MMC. Community health workers (CHWs) recruited from each barangay were instructed on how to facilitate focus groups. Focus group interviews were digitally recorded and open coding methods were used to analyze the resulting data. Six focus groups were conducted with N=57 adult Filipino participants (28.1% male, 71.9% female). Overall, mean age was 61 years. A majority had hypertension (84.2%), while 42.1% had type 2 diabetes. Mean duration for patient-enrollment in ABC-MMC was 2.3 years. Four major focus group themes emerged: (1) barriers for access to healthcare, (2) facilitators for accessing healthcare, (3) positive perceptions towards ABC-MMC, and (4) limited health literacy. As far as authors know, ABC-MMC is the first mobile primary healthcare program emphasizing continuity of care in low-income rural Philippine barangays that (1) addresses the lack of healthcare services, and (2) focuses on chronic disease prevention and management. This study found that the ABC-MMC was well-received by rural Filipino communities. Moreover, barriers and facilitators were identified to inform how best to promote engagement in ABC-MMC services and improve health outcomes in low-income underserved rural Philippine barangays.

How We Feel: COVID-19 Pandemic Experiences Among Intergenerational Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans in San Francisco

2024-05-03T11:33:33-07:00

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many social determinants of health and barriers to health care for Southeast Asian Americans. The objective of this study is to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Southeast Asian American communities’ health care utilization and need for support. This cross-sectional study administered surveys and conducted focus groups with 78 participants (>= 14 years) across generations and Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese ethnicity in partnership with the Southeast Asian Development Center in San Francisco, California between July and September 2021. We identified two themes in health care utilization: barriers to health care and fear of anti-Asian violence; two themes in COVID-19 prevention: utilization of COVID-19 services and COVID-19 safety precautions; and two themes in the role of community and community centers: intergenerational community and crucial services provided by community centers. Despite the challenges posed by the duality of the COVID-19 pandemic and fear of anti-Asian violence, Southeast Asian Americans persisted with resilience to seek health services with intergenerational support and the guidance of community centers. This highlights the significance of community-oriented health among Southeast Asian Americans and the value of community-led health interventions in advancing health for a historically underserved population.

Advancing Precision Medicine Beyond 'Asian' Race

2023-11-16T11:28:42-08:00

Advances in precision medicine afford a unique opportunity to develop personalized disease prevention, treatment, and interventions. However, the use of race and ethnicity persists as a measure of innate biological differences for individuals of Asian descent in clinical decision-making, with race-specific body mass index cutoffs the most well-known example. We posit that precision medicine must move beyond using “Asian” race as a risk factor while acknowledging the socio-political construction and impact of Asian race and ethnicity on health outcomes. We recommend continued development of holistic health data to comprehensively encompass the genetic, environmental, and social variables that Asian race and ethnicity has been used to proxy.