Reducing Asian American health disparities

In a post-pandemic world where public health is a major concern, societal pressures continue to prevent many Asian Americans from putting their health first.

Sunmin Lee, professor of medicine at UC Irvine, is a community epidemiologist who focuses on health disparities facing the Asian American population.

Many expats from Asia find it difficult to adapt to new customs and language barriers, which affect their lives. Being active and working hard is often valued above getting enough sleep – leading to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

In addition, Asian Americans often neglect preventive care, only seeking medical attention when symptoms appear. Because effective cancer treatment needs to be found early, cancer is now the leading cause of death for this population.

According to Lee, the myth of the model minority also contributes to the problem, as it portrays Asian Americans as successful and educated, hiding the differences between the group. This misconception ignores the large number of Asian Americans who do not have access to health care services – which leads to the disease and untreated treatment.

In order to combat these issues, Lee is involved in two projects of the National Institute of Childhood and Health of the Health Organizations: Exploring Overcoming and Preventing Colorectal Cancer and Unequal Research in Assessing Asian Americans’ Common Sleep and Health Concerns.

STOP CRC, as it was originally known, addresses the fact that Asian Americans have the lowest colon cancer diagnosis rate of all ethnic groups in the country. In this study, Lee’s team surveyed 400 Chinese and Korean Americans about what prevented them from being screened for colon cancer.

Lee works closely with physicians to recruit and train patient navigators to provide specific advice to those who answered screening questions about barriers and misinformation about colorectal cancer screening. To date, the team has experienced a 50 percent increase in its inspection rate.

The intervention was more effective for low-income people who could not get health insurance and health, Lee said, highlighting the value of programs targeted for the Asian American community.

His other project, known as DREAMS, is an observational study in which Lee’s team followed 750 Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese people for years, collecting data on their sleep and health symptoms. Participants wear sleep monitoring devices, and their biomarkers – including body mass index and cholesterol and glucose levels – are regularly monitored. With this, Lee hopes to reveal the long-term effects of stress and lack of sleep on public health outcomes.

A first-generation immigrant from South Korea, he connects academics through shared experiences. Lee came to the US to pursue a doctorate at Harvard University but struggled with discrimination and language – which affected his health and sleep. After talking to others, she learned that these stressors are common among Asian immigrants.

Lee says: “I feel a responsibility to help my community. “If I don’t, Asians will continue to be under-educated, under-represented in our society and in health research.”

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