EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCULTURATION AND HEALTH AMONG ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN

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EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
ACCULTURATION AND HEALTH AMONG
ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN

• SHARON M. LEE
• PROFESSOR
• DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
• PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
• PORTLAND, OREGON
• lees_at_pdx.edu
• VISITING FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR
• DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
• UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
  OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH
• GUADALUPE PACHECO, PROJECT OFFICER
• ASIAN FAMILY CENTER, PORTLAND, OREGON
• WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY

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OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

• BACKGROUND FOR RESEARCH
• DATA METHODS
• RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
• FINDINGS
• DISCUSSION CONCLUSION

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BACKGROUND DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS, CULTURAL
DIVERSITY, HEALTH

• THREE MAJOR DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
• IMMIGRATION POPULATION GROWTH
• GROWTH OF RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS
• IMMIGRANTS ORIGINS INCREASED CULTURAL
• LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

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Immigration and U.S. Population Growth 1970 to
2000

• U.S. Population
• 1970 203.3 m
• 1980 226.5 m
• 1990 248.7 m
• 2000 281.4 m
• Foreign Born
• Population
• 1970 9.7 m/5
• 1980 14.1 m/6
• 1990 19.8 m/8
• 2000 31.1 m/11

1
4
12
13
70
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Main Regions and Countries of Origin of
Immigrants 2000

• Latin America 52
• Mexico 30
• Cuba and El Salvador 3 each
• Dominican Republic 2
• Asia 26
• China 5
• Philippines 4
• India and Vietnam 3 each

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CULTURE, ACCULTURATION, HEALTH

• CULTURE
• CULTURE RELATIONSHIP TO FIVE SPECIFIC HEALTH
  DOMAINS
• ACCULTURATION IMMIGRANTS HEALTH
• KEY ISSUES QUESTIONS
• THE HEALTHY IMMIGRANT EFFECT (HIE)
• INCONSISTENT FINDINGS

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RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• EXPLORE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCULTURATION
  HEALTH AMONG ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN
• REPORT NEW FINDINGS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
  ACCULTURATION HEALTH USING MULTIPLE OUTCOMES

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DATA METHODS

• EXPLORATORY STUDY
• NON-RANDOM SAMPLE, N 297 RESPONDENTS
• FOREIGN-BORN CHINESE, FILIPINO, VIETNAMESE
  WOMEN, AGED 24-69
• PERSONAL INTERVIEWS BILINGUAL INSTRUMENT,
  TRAINED BILINGUAL INTERVIEWERS
• SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHIC, LANGUAGE CULTURAL
  CHARACTERISTICS
• HEALTH-RELATED VALUES, BELIEFS, BEHAVIOR,
  EXPERIENCES, HEALTH STATUS
• SUPPLEMENTARY DATA INTERVIEWS WITH KEY
  INFORMANTS FROM THE CBO

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MEASURING ACCULTURATION

• INDEX OF ACCULTURATION
• DURATION OF RESIDENCE SUBJECTIVE CULTURAL
  IDENTITY
• YEAR OF IMMIGRATION 11990s 21980s, 31970s,
  AND 4BEFORE 1970
• SUBJECTIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY 1MORE ASIAN
  2SOMEWHERE IN-BETWEEN 3MORE AMERICAN/WESTERN
• ACCULTURATION INDEX SCORES
• 2,3LOW 4,5MEDIUM 6,7HIGH ACCULTURATION
• FINAL SAMPLE (N293) INDEX OF ACCULTURATION
• 68 LOW 27 MEDIUM 5 HIGH

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EXPECTED FINDINGS FOR ACCULTURATION FOUR
OUTCOMES

• USE OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE ()
• PREFERENCE FOR WESTERN-BASED HEALTH TREATMENT ()
  
• LIFE-STYLE DRINKING ALCOHOL, SMOKING CIGARETTES,
  WEIGHT GAIN ()
• SELF-ASSESSED HEALTH (?)

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Figure 1 Preventive Health Care Use by
Acculturation
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Figure 2 First Choice of Treatment When Ill
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Figure 3 Second Choice of Treatment When Ill
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Figure 4 Third Choice of Treatment When Ill
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Figure 5 Percent Overweight or Obese by
Acculturation
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Figure 6 Self-Assessed Health by Acculturation
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DISCUSSION CONCLUSION

• SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
• ACCULTURATIONS RELATIONSHIP TO IMMIGRANTS
  HEALTH IS COMPLEX MULTI-DIMENSIONAL
• STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
• FUTURE RESEARCH