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Background: Filipinos are the third largest sub-group of Asian Americans in the United States and have greater socioeconomic and health disparities than many other Asian sub-groups [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Characteristics of Filipino patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have not been adequately studied., Objective: To scope the extent, range and nature of current knowledge on PD in Filipino-American (FA) patients in contrast to Filipino patients in general., Methods: We undertook a scoping review including all types of research relating to PD in Filipinos. We searched the following electronic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Herdin and Journals@OVID (searched 1944-November 2024). Criteria for inclusion were peer-reviewed empirical articles published in English that specifically included and described Filipino patients with PD. We reviewed all eligible articles and categorized them by general topical themes., Results: The scoping review resulted in 48 eligible papers (Fig. 1). There were 7 papers that discussed PD in FA, and 35 papers that discussed PD in the Philippines. The main themes identified from the scoping review were: epidemiology/etiology (n = 19, 39 %), clinical manifestations and management (n = 20, 42 %), and access to PD care (n = 9, 19 %)., Conclusion: There is a paucity of information on PD in the FA population, with the majority of studies from the Philippines. Further studies on FA in the US, when compared to the studies from the Philippines, may shed light on how differences in the environment and sociodemographic factors may influence the nature and course of PD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Little is known about Filipino American women's (FAW) sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The purpose of this study was to examine the SRH knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy among young adult FAW. Method: This was a qualitative, descriptive interpretive design. Four focus group interviews and one individual interview were conducted. Purposive sampling was used for this study. Inclusion criteria were female, Filipino American, between the ages 18 and 24 years old, and be able to understand and speak English. Results: Twelve participants (n = 12) were recruited. Three themes emerged from this study: (a) sources of SRH information; (b) influence of cultural values, religion, and intergenerational factors; and (c) facilitators of and barriers to women's health services. Discussion: Themes emerged from the content analysis identifying SRH disparities within the Filipino American community, which may inform future interventions and research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco product use rates among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI), Asian American, and Filipino American young adults in Hawai'i have risen rapidly in recent years following the introduction of electronic nicotine delivery systems. Though some research has examined tobacco use correlates for these demographics of young adults, research examining protective factors, such as cultural connectedness, is lacking. Additionally, research that disaggregates Asian Americans from Pacific Islanders is scarce, despite the differing risk and protective factors that have been determined for each group. This study separately examined cultural connectedness among NHPIs, Asian Americans, and Filipino Americans to help fill the gaps in the current tobacco product literature. The findings indicated that Asian Americans and Filipino Americans who identify more with their own cultures are less likely to use e-cigarettes; however, this relationship was not supported for NHPIs. No significant evidence was found to indicate a relationship between cultural connectedness and combustible cigarette use among any of the sampled groups. The lack of relationship between cultural connectedness and e-cigarette use among Native Hawaiians may be explained by measurement limitations in the study, and suggest the need for more culturally competent scales (e.g., an enculturation scale) that account for Indigenous status.

Friendship racial homophily, the tendency to form friendships with individuals who share the same racial background, is a normative developmental phenomenon that holds particular significance for youth of color in a racialized society. Yet, there exists a paucity of longitudinal research elucidating the stability and change of friendship racial composition across developmental span. This study aimed to examine the friendship racial homophily trajectories over a six-year period encompassing four time points. The sample comprised 437 Asian American youth (M Age  = 16.52, SD Age  = 1.36, 53% female), with 197 Filipino and 240 Korean participants. Using logistic multilevel modeling analyses, it was found that both Filipino and Korean American youth demonstrated an increase in friendship racial homophily from high school to college, but that Filipino youth overall reported lower levels of racial homophily compared to their Korean counterparts. The study findings also pinpointed several influential factors impacting these trajectories, including proficiency in heritage languages, ethnic identity, and encounters with racial discrimination from both White Americans and other People of Color. These results highlight the continuous evolution of friendship racial composition from high school to college and emphasize the crucial role of ethnic identity and experiences of discrimination in influencing these dynamics, with ethnic identity exerting more enduring effects and experiences of discrimination showing more situational impacts on the levels of racial homophily., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

This study examined the impact of acculturative stress and social support (family and friend) on psychological distress among Asian American immigrants and three Asian sub-groups (Vietnamese, Filipino and Chinese) immigrants. The National Latino and Asian American Study 2002-2003 dataset was used. The study findings were: (1) among all Asian American immigrants high language barrier and discrimination stress were associated with increased level of psychological distress, but similar association was not present for legal stress; (2) among all Asian American immigrants high family social support decreased the levels of psychological distress, and in addition, friend social support buffered the relationship of discrimination and psychological distress; and (3) among Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese, differential association of social support and acculturative stress to psychological distress were observed. These findings highlight the importance of social support among Asian American immigrants, while also paying attention to the variation that may exist between different sub-groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies of immigrant health are cross-sectional and fail to collect information prior to migration, leading to potential bias and confounding. The present pilot study examines the feasibility of studying migrants prospectively, with baseline data collected before migration. The study followed two cohorts of Filipinos for one year, a migrant cohort (n=27) that emigrated to the U.S. and a second non-migrant cohort (n=26) that remained in the Philippines. The one-year retention rate was 96%. The migrant cohort arrived in the U.S. within two months of their baseline assessment. Migrants and non-migrants did not differ with regard to body mass index, waist circumference, or waist to hip ratio at baseline or at follow-up. It is feasible to conduct a transnational, longitudinal study of two cohorts of Filipinos. This design provides important pre-migration information, is analogous to a natural experiment, can be upscaled, and allows for a rigorous examination of immigrant health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity (PA) serves a critical role in maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases, though its influence on high-risk Asian American populations is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine PA levels among Filipino and Korean Americans at high risk of hypertension and to identify sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with PA levels in these populations. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 137 participants in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Data was collected on PA levels, sociodemographic factors, and health factors. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors associated with low, moderate, and high PA and predictive probabilities were calculated for interaction terms, incorporating ethnicity and blood pressure variables. Overall, 42.33% of participants belonged to the moderately active PA group and 21.90% belonged to the highly active group. In the final multinomial regression model, it was found that having gone to college increased the odds of being in the moderately active PA group (coef. = 1.96, p = 0.034), while having high blood pressure reduced the odds of being in the moderately active PA group (coef. = -2.21, p = 0.022). Lastly, being Korean versus Filipino reduced the odds of being in the highly active category (coef. = -2.89, p = 0.035). Based on predictive probabilities, Koreans and Filipinos with high blood pressure were more likely to belong in the low active PA category (52.31% and 46.33%). These findings highlight the need for culturally relevant PA interventions for promoting and increasing PA levels to prevent and manage hypertension among these populations.

Background: Immigrants to the United States are usually healthier than their U.S.-born counterparts, yet the health of immigrants declines with duration of stay in the U.S. This pattern is often seen for numerous health problems such as obesity, and is usually attributed to acculturation (the adoption of "American" behaviors and norms). However, an alternative explanation is secular trends, given that rates of obesity have been rising globally. Few studies of immigrants are designed to distinguish the effects of acculturation versus secular trends, in part because most studies of immigrants are cross-sectional, lack baseline data prior to migration, and do not have a comparison group of non-migrants in the country of origin. This paper describes the Health of Philippine Emigrants Study (HoPES), a study designed to address many of these limitations., Methods: HoPES is a dual-cohort, longitudinal, transnational study. The first cohort consisted of Filipinos migrating to the United States (n = 832). The second cohort consisted of non-migrant Filipinos who planned to remain in the Philippines (n = 805). Baseline data were collected from both cohorts in 2017 in the Philippines, with follow-up data collection planned over 3 years in either the U.S. for the migrant cohort or the Philippines for the non-migrant cohort. At baseline, interviewers administered semi-structured questionnaires that assessed demographic characteristics, diet, physical activity, stress, and immigration experiences. Interviewers also measured weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure, and collected dried blood spot samples., Discussion: Migrants enrolled in the study appear to be representative of recent Filipino migrants to the U.S. Additionally, migrant and non-migrant study participants are comparable on several characteristics that we attempted to balance at baseline, including age, gender, and education. HoPES is a unique study that approximates a natural experiment from which to study the effects of immigration on obesity and other health problems. A number of innovative methodological strategies were pursued to expand the boundaries of current immigrant health research. Key to accomplishing this research was investment in building collaborative relationships with stakeholders across the U.S. and the Philippines with shared interest in the health of migrants.