HPU Professor Chong Ho Yu co-authored two new articles that offer new insights into managing pain and high blood pressure.
HPU Professor and Program Director of Data Science Chong Ho “Alex” Yu has recently co-authored two new articles that offer new insights into managing pain and high blood pressure. The first article, titled “The Impact of Nonpharmacological Interventions on Opioid Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain: A Scoping Review” was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Chong Ho Yu.
In this article, Yu and his team explored alternatives to opioids for treating chronic pain. Opioids, which are strong painkillers, are often used for long-term pain management despite their risks, including addiction. The study looked at various non-drug treatments, like mindfulness and yoga, to see if they could help people with chronic pain reduce their use of opioids. The research reviewed thousands of articles and found that some of these alternative methods might be helpful, while others, such as hypnosis and virtual reality, showed less promise. This study aims to help patients and doctors find safer ways to manage chronic pain without relying heavily on opioids.
Yu's second article, titled “Illness perceptions and blood pressure control among hypertensive Filipino Americans: A cross-sectional study” was published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The research focuses on how Filipino Americans think about and manage high blood pressure. Filipino Americans, who make up a large part of the U.S. immigrant population, often struggle with controlling their blood pressure.
Yu and his team surveyed 248 Filipino Americans with high blood pressure to understand their views on the condition. They discovered that negative feelings about high blood pressure were linked to poorer control of the condition, while positive beliefs about managing it led to better outcomes. These findings suggest that healthcare providers should consider patients’ personal and cultural views when creating treatment plans to improve blood pressure management.
Yu is a three-time winner of the SAS faculty scholarship (2016, 2017 SAS Global Forum and 2017 Western Users of SAS Software Conference). In addition, he also won the Distinguished SAS Educator Award in 2021.
He is interested in a range of research areas, such as alternate and emerging research methods (e.g. DSML, exploratory data analysis, data visualization, and item response theory). Yu’s focus also extends to the philosophical aspects of research methodologies, including causal inferences, the nature of latent constructs, and abductive reasoning. Additionally, he explores cross-cultural comparisons in STEM education, involving assessments like PISA, PIAAC, and TIMSS.
