Aging, Acculturation, and Health: Korean American Elders

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

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Abstract

The proposed study is in response to the NIA Behavioral and Social Research on Aging (BSR) special initiative #1 Health Disparities. The investigation focuses on one of the fastest-growing but understudied minority populations: Korean American elders. The underlying concern is with the significance of experiences associated with aging, acculturation, and health. Guided by a stress and coping model, the study conceptualizes health conditions and acculturation as potential stressors, health perception and acculturative stressfulness as appraisals, a variety of psychosocial and cultural factors as coping resources, and subjective well-being as outcome. Subjective well-being is indexed by depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Specific aims are: (1) to assess the connections between potential stressors (health conditions and acculturation) and outcomes (depressive symptoms and life satisfaction), (2) to examine whether the connections between stressors and outcomes are mediated through appraisals (health perceptions and acculturative stressfulness), and (3) to examine how psychosocial and cultural resources (sense of mastery, social network, social support, religiosity, filial satisfaction, and family solidarity) modify the connections among stressors, appraisals, and outcomes. Probability samples of Korean American older adults aged 65 and older (n=310) will be drawn from two cities in Florida. Face-to-face interviews will be conducted using the Korean version of a structured questionnaire. A series of regression analyses with tests of direct, mediating, and moderating effects will provide answers for the proposed research questions. The unique approach with the differentiation of acculturative stressfulness from the level of acculturation will not only address the conventional stress model but also specific issues sensitive to the study population. Elucidation of the intervening roles of health perception and acculturative stressfulness may guide intervention strategies to prevent or minimize the adverse emotional consequences of stressors by altering negative perceptions of and attitudes towards stressors. Further, the identification of protective psychosocial and cultural resources will serve as a basis for developing/implementing culturally competent and effective social services and programs. This study is an important step in expanding our understanding of the unique experiences of minority elders; further research will be developed based on the results from this pilot research.