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Factors that Influence Self-reported General Health Status Among Different Asian Ethnic Groups: Evidence from the Roadmap to the New Horizon: Linking Asians to Improved Health and Wellness Study

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Abstract

Little is known about the determinants of self-reported general health status among different Asian ethnic subgroups. Using a community-based participatory research approach, we designed, administered, and analyzed a cross-sectional survey of 705 Asians (292 Chinese, 226 Korean, 187 Vietnamese) in the Portland, Oregon region to describe associations between general health status and several sociodemographic and health-related factors in pooled and ethnic-group-stratified samples. Ethnic variation existed in all covariate distributions, except employment, public-service use, language use, health status, visiting healthcare providers, sleep habits, and use of prayer, meditation, yoga or acupuncture. Acculturation measures were strong predictors of poor/fair health in logistic regression models regardless of ethnicity. Ethnic variation in outcome status existed for all remaining covariates. Most health-related research overlooks the heterogeneity within the Asian population. These findings highlight substantial variability in the associations between self-reported general health status and sociodemographic and health-related measures between Asian ethnic groups.

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Acknowledgments

The Roadmap to the New Horizon: Linking Asians to Improved Health and Wellness Study was supported by a Community Impact/Project Innovation grant from the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. The authors would like to thank the staff at the Asian Health and Service Center and members of the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area for their support and participation in the Roadmap project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Community Health, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751, USA

    Siobhan C. Maty

  2. Asian Health and Service Center, 3430 SE Powell Blvd., Portland, OR, USA

    Holden Leung, Christine Lau & Gemma Kim

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  1. Siobhan C. Maty
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  2. Holden Leung
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  3. Christine Lau
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Correspondence to Siobhan C. Maty.

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Maty, S.C., Leung, H., Lau, C. et al. Factors that Influence Self-reported General Health Status Among Different Asian Ethnic Groups: Evidence from the Roadmap to the New Horizon: Linking Asians to Improved Health and Wellness Study. J Immigrant Minority Health 13, 555–567 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-010-9349-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-010-9349-1

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