EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCULTURATION AND HEALTH AMONG ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN SHARON M. LEE PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY PORTLAND, OREGON VISITING FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

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

OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION  BACKGROUND FOR RESEARCH  DATA & METHODS  RESEARCH OBJECTIVE  FINDINGS  DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION

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

Immigration and U.S. Population Growth: 1970 to 2000 U.S. Population m m m m Foreign Born Population m/5% m/6% m/8% m/11% 70% 13% 12% 1% 4%

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

CULTURE, ACCULTURATION, & HEALTH  “CULTURE”  CULTURE & RELATIONSHIP TO FIVE SPECIFIC HEALTH DOMAINS  “ACCULTURATION” & IMMIGRANTS’ HEALTH:  KEY ISSUES & QUESTIONS  THE “HEALTHY IMMIGRANT EFFECT” (HIE)  INCONSISTENT FINDINGS

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES  EXPLORE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCULTURATION & HEALTH AMONG ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN  REPORT NEW FINDINGS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCULTURATION & HEALTH USING MULTIPLE OUTCOMES

DATA & METHODS  EXPLORATORY STUDY  NON-RANDOM SAMPLE, N = 297 RESPONDENTS  FOREIGN-BORN CHINESE, FILIPINO, & VIETNAMESE WOMEN, AGED  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

MEASURING ACCULTURATION  INDEX OF ACCULTURATION DURATION OF RESIDENCE + SUBJECTIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY  YEAR OF IMMIGRATION: 1=1990s; 2=1980s, 3=1970s, AND 4=BEFORE 1970  SUBJECTIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY: 1=MORE ASIAN; 2=SOMEWHERE IN-BETWEEN; 3=MORE AMERICAN/WESTERN  ACCULTURATION INDEX SCORES: 2,3=LOW; 4,5=MEDIUM; 6,7=HIGH ACCULTURATION  FINAL SAMPLE (N=293): INDEX OF ACCULTURATION 68% LOW; 27% MEDIUM; 5% HIGH

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 (?)

Figure 1: Preventive Health Care Use by Acculturation

Figure 2: First Choice of Treatment When Ill

Figure 3: Second Choice of Treatment When Ill

Figure 4: Third Choice of Treatment When Ill

Figure 5: Percent Overweight or Obese by Acculturation

Figure 6: Self-Assessed Health by Acculturation

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION  SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS  ACCULTURATION’S RELATIONSHIP TO IMMIGRANTS’ HEALTH IS COMPLEX & MULTI- DIMENSIONAL  STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS OF STUDY  FUTURE RESEARCH