Fear of becoming a victim of a hate crime is a risk factor for poor health outcomes among older Asians.
Written by Laura López González Illustrations: Lingsheng Li
A new study from the University of California, San Francisco shows that the fear of becoming victims of anti-Asian hate among older San Francisco residents may be driving a hidden epidemic of isolation and poor health. It was done.
What’s new: Fearing becoming victims of anti-Asian hate, older Asian San Franciscans are cutting back on activities they used to enjoy, like exercising, visiting loved ones, and eating out. People are choosing to spend more time at home, research suggests. Letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine. If the results of 80 in-depth interviews with Asians aged 50 and older and local clinicians are robust, this increased isolation is affecting the mental and physical health of the city’s Asian elderly community. It may be accelerating the deterioration of health.
“We’ve often heard that people are avoiding going outside for exercise or grocery shopping,” explains Ling-Hsien Li, MD, MHS, a UCSF geriatrics fellow. Lee conducted the research with a team of UCSF faculty, staff, and learners. “These activities are essential for well-being and quality of life, especially for older people who are already isolated in the community.”
“Some people even avoided going to the clinic because they had to take the bus. Many attacks occur on buses.”
Illustration: Lingsheng Li Illustration: Lingsheng Li
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Of the 20 San Francisco health clinicians interviewed, many reported that isolation worsened some patients’ chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cognitive decline.
“I’ve seen cases where patients had mild cognitive impairment that worsened to frank dementia,” one doctor told UCSF researchers. “After a thorough workup, we have to conclude that this is because they no longer go out and walk every day.”
Why it matters: Nationwide, one in three Asians and Pacific Islanders will experience racial abuse in 2023. In San Francisco, about a quarter of anti-Asian attacks targeting Asians over 60 between March 2020 and December 2021 involved physical violence.
Illustration: Lingsheng Li Illustration: Lingsheng Li
What does this mean? Fear of being a victim of anti-Asian hate can be a risk factor for poor mental, social, and physical health for older adults in the Asian community. Some clinicians and patients who participated in Lee’s study said they found this difficult to screen for, but many also felt that addressing the role of racism in health was a comprehensive challenge. I felt that it was a part of medical care.
“We also heard very strong recommendations from people who believe that clinicians should screen for anti-Asian hate, because clinicians care about the whole human being, and they, their families, and their communities. Because it shows that racism and acts of violence against society are not okay,” Lee said. I will explain. “As clinicians, we may not be able to change the situation right away, but we can still provide a space for therapeutic listening and show patients that we care.”
To start a conversation between patients and healthcare professionals, Lee’s team collaborated with the clinicians participating in the study to ask a simple screening question: “Do you feel safe outside your home?” Created.
