Bangladeshi Immigrants in New York City: A Community Based Health Needs Assessment of a Hard to Reach Population

South Asians, particularly Bangladeshis, are one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the U.S. Limited data exist regarding the health needs of Bangladeshis in the U.S. More data are needed to guide health intervention efforts for this community. To help address this gap, we conducted a community-based health needs assessment survey among women in a Bangladeshi population living in Bronx, NY. Community health promoters conducted a door-to-door household survey and collected data from 167 women, an approach that yielded a participation rate over 90%. Over half reported fair or poor health and 36.5% screened positive for risk of depression. Only 35% had engaged in physical activity over the past month. 60% reported never having received a pap smear. Using WHO guidelines for BMI, 74% were either overweight or obese. Age-standardized prevalence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension were 15.4 and 36.5% respectively. In a multivariable logistic regression model, age and percent lifetime in the U.S. were independently associated with having diabetes. Poor health behaviors and high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors observed in this group suggest the need for early health promotion and prevention interventions.