Published Date: April 10, 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating toll on the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) community. In 13 of the 19 states that disaggregated NHPI data, including California, NHPIs had the highest COVID-19 cases and death rates of any racial and ethnic group. However, in many data sources, NHPIs are absorbed into other racial and ethnic groups, such as Asian, masking COVID’s true impact on the NHPI community.

Working alongside NHPI community leaders and partners, researchers conducted the California Pacific Islander Well-Being and COVID-19 Economic Survey (CAPIWAVES) of 929 NHPI adults and developed a report examining the mental health and socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NHPIs in California.

In addition to the total NHPI population, the report provides disaggregated estimates for seven NHPI groups in the survey: CHamoru, Fijian, Marshallese, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, and other Pacific Islander. These disaggregated estimates may be relevant to specific populations but should be interpreted with caution when the sample size is smaller or when the population characteristic is not very common.

Selected mental health findings:

• More than 1 in 4 NHPI adults (28.2%) reported experiencing “fair” or “poor” mental health.
• Although poor mental health was common, relatively few NHPI Californians sought and were able to access mental health care. For instance, 26.8% of NHPI adults reported seeking mental health care in their lifetime, indicating that nearly three-quarters had never sought professional help for emotional or mental health problems.
• About 1 in 3 NHPI adults (33.9%) reported needing mental health care in the past year for help with stress, depression, or emotions.
• The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with worsening mental health problems among NHPIs in California, with 47.5% reporting moderate and 9.2% reporting high levels of distress. The major sources of stress included health-related concerns (43.9%), financial concerns (38.8%), and pandemic impact on family members (37.6%), their work (32.4%), and their elders (31.1%).

Selected socioeconomic findings:

• About 1 in 3 NHPI adults (34%) reported a decrease in household income since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 46.3% of Fijian, 42.9% of Marshallese, 41.4% of Tongan, and 35.6% of Native Hawaiian adults reporting loss of income.
• Nearly 1 in 3 NHPI adults (29.7%) reported having someone in their household lose their job or a significant amount of income due to the pandemic.
• More than 1 in 4 NHPI adults (27.4%) had difficulty meeting basic financial necessities during the COVID-19 pandemic, including paying bills, paying tuition, affording groceries, or paying their rent or mortgage. More than 1 in 9 (11.4%) had difficulty obtaining child care.
• Although NHPI adults in California experienced severe economic impacts due to the pandemic, fewer than expected NHPI adults were able to access financial assistance, even when they were eligible. For example, 1 in 5 NHPI adults (19.0%) received government health benefits including Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) or Medicare. Of those who were eligible based on reported household income, less than one-third (31.2%) received government health benefits.

Read the full report here.

Community health workers were found to be the unsung heroes of the healthcare system’s pandemic response, according to a study led by a team of public health researchers from the University of California, Irvine, and their community partners. Findings also show that current funding and reimbursement mechanisms remain inadequate to sustain their work. 

Community health workers (CHW) are increasingly recognized for their ability to address health inequities by reducing the barriers to care between marginalized communities and public health institutions like hospitals and government agencies. Now in the years following the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare administrators and public health agencies can’t ignore the urgency of incorporating CHWs into the healthcare system and the vital role they play in reaching the most vulnerable communities.  

In a study published in the journal Social Science & Medicine – Qualitative Research in Health, corresponding author Brittany Morey, MPH, PhD, associate professor of health, society and behavior at the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, along with a team of community leaders and researchers, revealed the critical role CHWs played during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included the deep trust and relational ties they had within their communities and how these traits were central to their success. 

“Without CHWs, vulnerable communities such as racial/ethnic minorities and those who spoke languages other than English were not being reached by healthcare and government institutions that did not have the same level of trust with communities that CHWs had,” said Morey. “They filled the gaps left by traditional public health institutions during an especially vulnerable and stressful time for the healthcare system.” 

Read the full article here: https://publichealth.uci.edu/2025/01/08/study-finds-that-community-health-workers-were-vital-to-the-regions-covid-19-response/

UCI News by Pat Harriman on August 8, 2024: UC Irvine-led study used novel measures in Asian American and Hispanic neighborhoods

The number of sociocultural institutions within ethnic enclaves may play a significant role in positively influencing the health of immigrant Asian American and Hispanic populations, according to recent research led by the University of California, Irvine.

For the study, published online in the journal Social Science and Medicine, researchers created and validated two novel measures – Asian- and Hispanic-serving sociocultural institutions – to identify the different mechanisms that link majority minority neighborhoods to health outcomes.

“Our new measures capture aspects of local economies that may support residents through in-language and culturally appropriate services, employment and social groups that help us estimate how they impact community health,” said corresponding author Brittany Morey, associate professor of health, society and behavior in the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health. “Rather than census data, we used business listings to identify organizations that promote cultural and social identity, including arts, civic, historical, religious, social service and membership.”

Read the full article here: https://news.uci.edu/2024/08/08/link-found-between-sociocultural-institutions-in-ethnic-enclaves-and-resident-health/

healthline by Chantelle Pattemore on March 2, 2023: “Poor quality and quantity of sleep can also influence inflammation levels in the body, stated Brittany Morey, PhD, assistant professor of public health at the University of California, Irvine – Program in Public Health.”

“‘During sleep, the body releases certain cytokines, which influence the body’s inflammatory response,’ she shared. ‘When this process is disrupted, the body’s ability to respond to infection is hindered.'”

“And that’s not all. ‘Research shows that poor sleep leads to a diminished production of antibodies to fight off infections,’ Morey noted.”

Read full article here: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/too-much-or-too-little-sleep-can-increase-your-risk-of-getting-sick?utm_source=ReadNext

News-Medical.net: September 19, 2022-“Two studies now report that NH/PIs have been deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Subica was joined in the first study by Dr. Howard B. Moss of UCR; Nia Aitaoto of Pacific Islander Center of Primary Care Excellence; Quixi Li of Special Services for Groups; Brittany N. Morey of UCI; Li-Tzy Wu of Duke University; Derek K. Iwamoto of the University of Maryland; and Erick G. Guerrero of I-Lead Institute.”

“Subica, Moss, Guerrero, Aitaoto, Morey, and Wu were joined in the second study by Tammy K. K. Martin and Scott K. Okamoto of Hawaii Pacific University.”

Read full article here: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220919/Native-HawaiiansPacific-Islanders-deeply-affected-by-the-COVID-19-pandemic-studies-report.aspx

COVID-19 pandemic reveals urgent need for improved standards

“Irvine, Calif., Sept. 15, 2021— Despite Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders being one of the fastest growing populations, according to the 2020 U.S. Census count, the collection and reporting of their health data at the federal and state levels is virtually non-existent, according to a study led by the University of California, Irvine. This information omission has led to structural racism that disproportionately affects roughly 1.4 million Americans through an inability to advocate, a lack of resources and limitations to political power.”

Read the full article here: https://news.uci.edu/2021/09/15/data-collection-reporting-gaps-harm-native-hawaiian-pacific-islander-health-uci-led-study-says/