# CSUF and UCI-CFCCC Partnership for Cancer Health Disparities Research (1 of 2)

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · 2023 · $525,247

## Abstract

Climate change is a growing public health priority and is considered a stress multiplier, placing
pressures on vulnerable populations, regions, and systems. Soaring temperatures and wildfires
are increasing in the western U.S. and the consequences are particularly dire in vulnerable
groups including ethnic/racial communities and those of low socioeconomic status, the elderly,
those who are socially isolated, and those with certain physical or mental health conditions.
Approximately 23 million Americans are of self-reported Asian ancestry, and Asian American
and Native Hawaiiian and Pacific Islander (AsA-NHPI) populations are the fastest growing
subpopulation in the U.S. The AsA-NHPI populations are highly diverse in their disease risk
profiles, such as prevalence of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and major contributors to
morbidity and mortality. They also experience disparities in multiple health outcomes, including
lifetime cancer diagnosis, cigarette smoking, cancer screening behaviors, and healthy diet.
These disparities are often hidden, because AsA-NHPI are frequently aggregated in large
population-based epidemiological studies in the U.S., despite the genetic and ethnic diversity of
AsA-NHPI populations. Furthermore, AsA-NHPI subpopulations (e.g. Cambodians, Vietnamese)
experience high rates of poverty and low levels of education or have a high percentage of
immigrants, which may increase vulnerability to climate change impacts. A substantial
proportion of AsA-NHPI populations are also immigrants, which may impact people’s individual
and neighborhood exposure to climate change exposure. Little is known about the exposure
levels, health impacts, and coping capacity of the AsA-NHPI subpopulation for the climate
change related exposures such as extreme heat and wildfires. This study examines the
exposures to major climate change related stressors, potential health impacts, and community
concerns and needs among AsA-NHPI populations in California’s Los Angeles and Orange
counties. Using multi-methods, the aims include 1) characterizing exposure to extreme
temperature and wildfire smoke over 19 years, 2) determining how exposures to heat and
wildfire smoke contribute to cancer-related health outcomes, and 3) understanding the
perceptions, concerns, and needs of AsA-NHPI subethnic groups to climate change and
adaption. Results from this study will inform future R01 proposals that include adaptation testing
to address community concerns and mitigate exposures to maximize cancer health equity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10838835
- **Project number:** 3P20CA253254-03S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Sora P Tanjasiri
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $525,247
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-09-23 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10838835

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10838835, CSUF and UCI-CFCCC Partnership for Cancer Health Disparities Research (1 of 2) (3P20CA253254-03S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10838835. Licensed CC0.

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