New center will work to advance research on cardiometabolic disease and mental health of Asian adults
Asians are the fastest growing yet most understudied US minority group at 23 million people, having grown 26 percent from 2010-2019. Yet less than one percent of research funding from the National Institutes for Health in the last 10 years was focused on U.S. Asian populations. Currently, there are significant disparities in the Asian community’s relationship to heart health and mental health. The Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Equity intends to focus on cardiometabolic disease and mental health research to inform both practice and policy at community, regional, and national levels.
Health disparities in the Asian community are perpetuated by the “Asian Paradox.” U.S. Asians are, on average, the highest income earners and the most highly educated, but more older Asian adults live below the poverty line, are less likely to participate in biomedical research, and suffer disproportional health disparities compared to white Americans.
“These health inequities are further complicated by the heterogeneity of these immigrant populations, especially with respect to culture, religion, language, sexual identity, and trauma exposure, many of which challenge our assumptions about the ‘model minority’ stereotype around Asian Americans,” explains Wu.