Pacific Islanders

This section is designed to help health care professionals better understand and more effectively respond to the growing needs of Pacific Islanders in the United States. We hope that this information will help health services planners, administrators, educators, and providers to facilitate greater access to, and utilization of, culturally competent health services by Pacific Islander clients. We hope that the material contained in this section will stimulate further thought and action to reduce the severe disparities in health care that affect the diverse cultural groups that comprise Pacific Islanders.

The information included here was adapted from Developing Cultural Competence in Evaluation of Substance Abuse Prevention for Asian and Pacific Islander Communities. In addition, this material was adapted from, Responding to Pacific Islanders: Culturally Competent Perspectives for Substance Abuse and Prevention.
This section includes:

• Getting to Know Pacific Islander Culture
• Strengths and Protective Factors in Pacific Islander Families and Communities
• Challenges to Health and Well-Being of Pacific Islander Communities
• Principles for Culturally Competent Health Services for Pacific Islander Families and Communities
• References
• Links

More information about Pacific Islanders can be found in other parts of the Provider's Guide.

• Electronic Information Sheets on Health Disparities
• Reducing Health Disparities in AAPI Populations
• Understanding Minority, Immigrant & Refugee Populations
• Common Health Problems in Selected Minority, Ethnic, & Cultural Groups
• Common Beliefs and Cultural Practices
• Book Excerpt - Health and Well-Being for Pacific Islanders: Status, Barriers and Resolutions