Prevalence of physical symptoms and their association with race/ethnicity and acculturation in the United States.

OBJECTIVE

Physical symptoms are common and a leading reason for primary care visits; however, data are lacking on their prevalence among racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of physical symptoms among White, Latino and Asian Americans, and examine the association of symptoms and acculturation.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the National Latino and Asian American Study, a nationally representative survey of 4864 White, Latino and Asian American adults. We compared the age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of 14 physical symptoms among the racial/ethnic groups and estimated the association between indicators of acculturation (English proficiency, nativity, generational status and proportion of lifetime in the United States) and symptoms among Latino and Asian Americans.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age and gender, the mean number of symptoms was similar for Whites (1.00) and Latinos (0.95) but significantly lower among Asian Americans (0.60, P<.01 versus Whites). Similar percentages of Whites (15.4%) and Latinos (13.0%) reported three or more symptoms, whereas significantly fewer Asian Americans (7.7%, P<.05 versus Whites) did. In models adjusted for sociodemographic variables and clinical status (psychological distress, medical conditions and disability), acculturation was significantly associated with physical symptoms among both Latino and Asian Americans, such that the most acculturated individuals had the most physical symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of physical symptoms differs across racial/ethnic groups, with Asian Americans reporting fewer symptoms than Whites. Consistent with a "healthy immigrant" effect, increased acculturation was strongly associated with greater symptom burden among both Latino and Asian Americans.