So far, the news has been grim when looking at the health disparities of Utah's ethnic populations. But not for the state's Asian residents.
They are far less likely to be obese or to die of heart disease, stroke or cancer than the rest of Utah. More have health insurance. And, on average, they live to be nearly 83 -- that's four years longer than the rest of the state.
But there are two trouble spots highlighted in the Utah Department of Health's report on Asian health disparities, released Tuesday. Asians are two times more likely to have diabetes during pregnancy, and they are slightly more likely to deliver a baby weighing less than 5 pounds 8 ounces.
The Health Department has previously released data on Latinos, Pacific Islanders and blacks. A bill in the Legislature, which has yet to be debated, would create a state health disparities council to address differences among Utah populations in areas such as health insurance coverage, cancer screenings, mental illness and tobacco use.
Tuesday's report shows just 7 percent of Asians are obese, compared with 21 percent of all Utahns, which helps explain why fewer suffer chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
Health officials credit Asians' lifestyle and genetics for their trimmer figures.
"Asians generally have smaller skeletal frames than other racial groups and their traditional eating habits center around fruits and vegetables, with relatively smaller portions of starch and meat compared to the typical American diet," said Lynda Blades, the Health Department's physical activity, nutrition and obesity program manager.
Obesity is one of the risk factors for women developing diabetes during pregnancy -- which doesn't explain why 6 percent of Utah Asians have gestational diabetes. Instead, April Bennett, with the Health Department's Center for Multicultural Health, points to maternal age.
Women over 25 are at a greater risk for developing gestational diabetes. And in 2007, Asian and Pacific Islander Utahns were more likely to deliver after age 30 than the white population.
