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Asian americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific islanders (AA and NHPi) historically have been aggregated in most
demographic and health surveys, obscuring significant disparities in health risks and outcomes and health care access
affecting NHPis (Bitton et al., 2010). As a federal designation, “Native Hawaiian and Pacific islander” refers to persons with
ancestry in any of the original peoples of the islands of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia (Office of Management
and Budget, 1997). According to the 2008 U.s. census Bureau estimate, there are 829,949 NHPis who reside within the
United states, representing about 0.3% of the U.S. population. in large part due to the small number of NHPis in the
United states, little is known about their health. Until recently, available state or local data on NHPi health were collected
mainly in states with the largest NHPi populations (mostly in Hawaii but occasionally in California) compiled by state
health departments but also reported in research studies using samples of NHPis. This health brief provides an overview
of NHPi health in the United states on a wide range of health issues
