Abstract
The people of Hmong descent are one of the largest resettled communities in the United States (US). The Central Valley of California is well known to be the home to the largest Hmong population in the US. However, despite the presence of such a large Hmong community in the Central Valley, our knowledge of their cultural perceptions of medicine is limited. Based on local Central Valley health providers’ experiences and observations, the Hmong people have a number of health-related challenges that differ from those of the general population, and this should be considered when dealing with their healthcare needs. In this report, we present a quick guide about the Hmong community and their health-related issues. We hope this will help clinicians and researchers better understand the Hmong community, which in turn would help provide a better quality of healthcare to the Hmong people and stimulate intellectual curiosity among healthcare providers towards this unique Asian ethnicity.
Highlights
BackgroundThe Hmong are an Asian ethnic group originally from southern China that later migrated to the northern regions of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand
The aim of this review is to provide healthcare workers with a concise guide that should provide clarity regarding most of the Hmong-related health issues and their cultural beliefs that affect their management in order to enhance their care
This study identified a statistically higher prevalence of validated risk alleles in the United States (US) Hmong population compared with published data on people of European or Chinese ancestry
Summary
The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group originally from southern China that later migrated to the northern regions of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Nasopharyngeal cancer mortality rates are 10.4 for the Hmong compared to 0.2 and 1.7/100,000 for non-Hispanic whites and Asians/Pacific Islanders, respectively [16]. Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates among the Hmong women are three to four times higher than Asians/Pacific Islanders and non-Hispanic white women [17]. The Hmong are less likely to pursue treatment as compared to their fellow Asian American counterparts; and when they do, the disease process, such as cancer, is usually detected at a later stage, leading to an increased risk in mortality in this population. The biggest barrier to the management of Hmong patients is the failure to recognize their distinct culture and belief systems
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