Acculturative stress in Korean Americans

Chanam Shin, Shannon Dirksen, Bin Suh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background Acculturative stress is known to contribute to chronic diseases among many immigrants and yet this association in Korean Americans remains unclear. Aim The study purpose was to examine the level of acculturative stress in Korean Americans and to determine if correlations existed with personal and physiological factors. Methods An exploratory, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in a sample of 107 Korean American adults. Data on acculturative stress and personal factors were collected using a survey questionnaire in addition to a direct measure of physiological factors (i.e., body mass index and blood pressure). Results All 107 participants were first-generation Koreans. Most participants were women (66.4%), with a mean age of 53.9 ± 10.7, married (88.8%), and with a college education (84.2%). Acculturative stress was associated with a number of personal factors (i.e., arrival age, years of U.S education, years of U.S. residency, English proficiency), and the personal factors of gender, age, employment status, and years of U.S. residency were associated with the physiological factors. No statistically significant associations were found between acculturative stress and physiological factors. Conclusions The mean acculturative stress score in this study was higher than findings from prior studies of Korean immigrants in the United States or Canada, with the rates of obesity and hypertension higher than prior reports of Korean Americans or Koreans residing in Korea. Future study is necessary with a larger sample from a variety of different geographic areas of the United States to examine further the impact of acculturative stress on physiological factors during the process of acculturation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)70-75
Number of pages6
JournalApplied Nursing Research
Volume38
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2017

Keywords

  • Acculturative stress
  • Blood pressure
  • Body mass index
  • Immigrants
  • Korean Americans

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Nursing

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