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

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. Immigration and U.S. Population Growth: 1970 to 2000 U.S. Population 1970203.3 m 1980226.5 m 1990248.7 m 2000281.4 m Foreign Born Population 19709.7 m/5% 198014.1 m/6% 199019.8 m/8% 200031.1 m/11% 70% 13% 12% 1% 4%

6. 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

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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 (?)

12. Figure 1: Preventive Health Care Use by Acculturation

13. Figure 2: First Choice of Treatment When Ill

14. Figure 3: Second Choice of Treatment When Ill

15. Figure 4: Third Choice of Treatment When Ill

16. Figure 5: Percent Overweight or Obese by Acculturation

17. Figure 6: Self-Assessed Health by Acculturation

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