article

Sudden adult death in Asian populations: the case of the Hmong

Hmong in the West : observations and reportsMinneapolis, Minn.Published In 1982 • Pages: 307-319

By: Munger, Ronald Grant.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This article examines the nature and incidence of the sudden unexplained deaths that occur among Hmong and other Asian groups while the individual has been asleep. Post-mortem examinations of the deceased generally have been negative in regard to pathological or toxicological causes of death. Popular speculations regarding the sudden death 'syndrome' suggest that it may be caused by nightmare fright, chemical exposure (in Laos), or congenital effects due to inbreeding, but there is no evidence to support any of these claims. The author suggests the possibility that these deaths may be caused by obstructive sleep apnea, characterized by upper airway obstruction during sleep. At the present time these deaths still remain unexplained.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Mortality
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
North American Hmong
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2000
RegionThe area the document pertains to
North America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Ethnologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
John Beierle ; 1991
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
no date
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
not specified
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
United States
NotesAdditional notes
[by] Ronald Grant Munger
Includes bibliographical references (p. 317-319)
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Hmong Americans