COVID-19 Effects on the Mental and Physical Health of AAPI Survey Study (COMPASS)

1 Project Abstract/Summary of COMPASS 2 3 The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread health, social, and economic implications that the 4 world has not experienced in modern history. It has brought to the forefront the significant health 5 disparities, socio-economic inequalities, and discrimination/xenophobia that exist, both prior to 6 and due to COVID-19. As a result of policies (e.g., shelter-in-place; social distancing) that have 7 been implemented, persons and communities who identify as racial/ethnic minorities, are low- 8 income, have limited English proficiency, and are socially and technologically isolated are 9 among our most vulnerable in terms of the adverse effects of COVID-19. Asian Americans and10 Pacific Islanders (AAPI), specifically, encompass all of these aforementioned characteristics.11 AAPI also experience significant health disparities, which has likely been exacerbated due to12 COVID-19, and reports of discrimination and xenophobia in the AAPI population due to COVID-13 19 are alarming. Older AAPI, especially, are more likely to be disproportionately affected by14 COVID-19 policies. Also, persons with health conditions such as cognitive impairment (i.e.,15 Alzheimer's disease and related dementias [ADRD]) may forget to perform precautions to16 prevent COVID-19 (e.g., handwashing). Caregivers' health may also be affected (e.g., less17 respite options; more care management responsibilities; fear/anxiety of infection for self and18 care recipients, economic instability). The goal of this time-sensitive proposed research, COVID-19 19 Effects on the Mental and Physical Health of AAPI Survey Study (COMPASS), is to20 assess the effects of COVID-19 on AAPI. COMPASS will leverage potentially the largest21 registry of AAPI (n=10,000), Collaborative Approach for AAPI Research and Education (CARE)22 in ADRD, aging and caregiver-related research, to achieve this goal. CARE involves academic23 and community partners with decades of experience and successful track records in recruiting24 diverse AAPI in research in California. CARE will include AAPI who speak English, Mandarin,25 Cantonese, Vietnamese, and/or Korean representing more than 30 AAPI populations.26 COMPASS aims to recruit 2,500 participants from CARE and will also be available nationwide27 as an online survey. COMPASS participants will complete a comprehensive multilingual survey28 about their health, healthcare access, caregiving, discrimination experience,29 employment/income, and social support and coping strategies (e.g., via digital technology use).30 COMPASS is both a necessary and natural extension of CARE, and will help to inform future31 policies, programs and additional research that can alleviate the adverse effects of COVID-1932 for AAPI.