Publication Date

6-1-2024

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Volume

21

Issue

6

DOI

10.3390/ijerph21060799

Abstract

Background: Reports of escalated discrimination experiences among Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) continue. Methods: Using the original and follow-up surveys of the COVID-19 Effects on the Mental and Physical Health of AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) Survey Study (COMPASS I and COMPASS II) (n = 3177), we examined changes over approximately a 1-year period in discrimination experiences attributable to being AAPI and factors associated with worse mental health outcomes. Results: Experiences of discrimination remained high in COMPASS II with 60.6% (of participants (compared to 60.2% among the same people in COMPASS I) reporting one or more discrimination experiences, and 28.6% reporting worse mental health outcomes. Experiences of discrimination were associated with modest but significant increase in the odds of worse mental health: adjusted OR 1.02 (95% CI 1.01–1.04). Being younger, being of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander or Hmong descent (relative to Asian Indian), and having spent 50% or less of their lifetime in the US (vs. US born), were significantly associated with worse mental health. Conclusions: The fall-out from the pandemic continues to adversely impact AANHPI communities. These findings may help influence policy initiatives to mitigate its effects and support interventions designed to improve mental health outcomes.

Funding Number

3R24AG063718-02S1/3R24AG063718-03S1/1R01AG083926-01

Funding Sponsor

National Institute on Aging

Keywords

AANHPI, AAPI, COVID-19, discrimination, mental health, pandemic

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Public Health and Recreation

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