Behavioral Risk Factor Survey of Korean Americans--Alameda County, California, 1994

Asians/Pacific Islanders (APIs) account for an increasing proportion of all racial/ ethnic minority groups in the United States: during 1980-1990, the number of persons in this group increased approximately 99%. Among APIs in the United States, Korean Americans are the fifth largest subgroup. In Alameda County, California, APIs comprise 15% of the population, and Korean Americans account for 5% of that group. To assess behavioral risk factors among Korean Americans in Alameda County, Asian Health Services (a nonprofit community clinic) and the Center for Family and Community Health at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted a household telephone survey from August 1994 through February 1995. This report summarizes findings from that survey, which indicate significant differences in the prevalences of some behavioral risk factors and preventive health practices between men and women and between Korean Americans and the total California population.