Disparities in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander COVID-19 Mortality: A Community-Driven Data Response

Corina S Penaia; Brittany N Morey; Karla B Thomas; Richard C Chang; Vananh D Tran; Nicholas Pierson; John Greer; Ninez A Ponce

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2021.306370

Disparities in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander COVID-19 Mortality: A Community-Driven Data Response

Am J Public Health. 2021 Jul;111(S2):S49-S52. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306370.

Authors

Corina S Penaia¹, Brittany N Morey¹, Karla B Thomas¹, Richard C Chang¹, Vananh D Tran¹, Nicholas Pierson¹, John Greer¹, Ninez A Ponce¹

Affiliation

¹ Corina S. Penaia is with the Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement, Los Angeles, CA. Brittany N. Morey is with the Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine. Karla B. Thomas is with the Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Richard C. Chang, Nicholas Pierson, and John Greer are with the Harris School of Public Policy, Computational Analysis and Public Policy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Vananh D. Tran is a medical student with the Program in Medical Education-Leadership and Advocacy, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Ninez A. Ponce is with the Center for Health Policy Research, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.

Abstract

As of March 2021, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) in the United States have lost more than 800 lives to COVID-19-the highest per capita death rate in 18 of 20 US states reporting NHPI deaths. However, NHPI risks are overlooked in policy discussions. We discuss the NHPI COVID-19 Data Policy Lab and dashboard, featuring the disproportionate COVID-19 mortality burden for NHPIs. The Lab democratized NHPI data, developed community infrastructure and resources, and informed testing site and outreach policies related to health equity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / mortality*
Hawaii
Health Status Disparities*
Health Status Indicators*
Humans
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander / statistics & numerical data*
Risk Factors
Socioeconomic Factors