cULTURE bOUND sYNDROMES

Every culture has some sort of disorder.  For example, some Asian Americans may have eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. In some studies, Asian Americans show more uncontrolled overeating but have a more positive body image than Latino Americans and European Americans.  Even though they have the highest life expectancy of any ethnic group, they are at a greater risk for: 

- cancer
- heart disease
- stroke,
- unintentional injuries (accidents)
- diabetes

Asian Americans are also known to have a genetic disorder called thalassemias and there is two types: Alpha thalassemia and Beta thalassemia.  Changes in the genes that control globin production (a part of hemaglobin) lead to this disorder.

Random facts about Asian Americans and disorders/syndromes:

-generally have lower rates of asthma than the White population
-generally have lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic white population
-chronic liver disease is a leading cause of death. While the cause is not always known, some cases can be initiated by  conditions such as chronic alcoholism, obesity, and exposure to Hepatitis B and C viruses
-have lower AIDS rates than their white counterparts and they are less likely to die of HIV/AIDS. 
-Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for Asian Americans (2009)