Cultural Perceptions of Health in Asian Indian Adults

Abstract

Objective

To gain an understanding of the cultural perceptions of health among Asian Indian adults in an urban setting.

Design

Qualitative semistructured interviews.

Setting

Midwest urban community

Participants

Asian Indian adults (n = 20) aged ≥25 years, who self-identified as 100% Asian Indian descent.

Phenomenon of Interest

Individual interviews were conducted by a trained interviewer to assess cultural perceptions of health.

Analysis

Transcript analysis was performed by 2 independent coders using verbatim transcripts. Content analysis was used to identify themes using a grounded theory approach.

Results

The salient themes that emerged were a cultural definition of health, acculturation, mental health, and health information. Participants believed good health was associated with the ability to perform daily activities, regular exercise, and eating well. There was a lack of awareness of Asian Indian-specific body mass index categories and that overweight and obesity were an important risk factor for chronic diseases.

Conclusion and Implications

These data provide a context for health promotion efforts and underscore a gap in awareness of risk factors risk for chronic diseases among the Asian Indian community. Culturally specific interventions targeted at the Asian Indian population, considering their worldview and perceptions of health, will help address this important public health concern.