• Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• 제8권2호
• /
• pp.90-95
• /
• 2006

Asian Americans is a minority population contributing approximately 4% to the total population of the United States, however it is one of the fastest growing populations. Although Asian Americans as a group have socioeconomic profiles that are similar to white Americans, significant variations exists within and across Asian ethnic groups. The top ten leading causes of death for Asian Americans includes cancer, heart diseases, stroke, unintentional injuries, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, chronic lower respiratory disease, suicide, nephritis, and septicemia. The prevalence of obesity is lower among Asian Americans, however this should be taken with considerations specific to Asians. High salt and low calcium consumption seem to be dietary risk factors for Asian Americans, although dietary patterns are changing with acculturation. Factors affecting dietary patterns are discussed in this paper. A proactive nutrition education approach for Asian Americans should be promoting maintaining 'healthy' aspects of ethnic diets and adopting 'healthy' American diets. Collaboration with nutrition educators in Asian countries would be helpful to overcome limited resources available for researching and developing nutrition education messages and materials for Asian Americans. (J Community Nutrition 8(2): 90-95, 2006)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권7호
• /
• pp.4025-4032
• /
• 2013

Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for all US populations including Asian Americans. CRC screening has considerable benefits to prevent CRC and reduce mortality. The purpose of this article was to review the published literature on rates of colorectal cancer screening and factors associated with colorectal cancer screening practice among Asian Americans. Methods: Through searching electronic reference databases from 2000 to 2013, 30 articles were found on Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans. Findings: Asian Americans had significantly low ratesfor CRC screening; Korean Americans reported the lowest rates, while higher screening rates were found among Japanese Americans. Older age, longer length of stay in the US, and having a physician's recommendation were the most common facilitators to receiving screening. The common inhibiting factors were financial issues, employment status, and worries/fears about the procedure. Conclusions: Despite a number of Asian Americans being vulnerable to CRC, individual Asian subgroups were underserved with CRC screening and intervention. Further studies should focus on each individual Asian subgroup and culturally proficient CRC screening intervention programs should be developed for each.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권3호
• /
• pp.1999-2004
• /
• 2013

Asian Americans experience disproportionate incidence and mortality rates of certain cancers, compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Primary care physicians are a critical source for cancer screening recommendations and play a significant role in increasing cancer screening of their patients. This study assessed primary care physicians' perceptions of cancer risk in Asians and screening recommendation practices. Primary care physicians practicing in New Jersey and New York City (n=100) completed a 30-question survey on medical practice characteristics, Asian patient communication, cancer screening guidelines, and Asian cancer risk. Liver cancer and stomach cancer were perceived as higher cancer risks among Asian Americans than among the general population, and breast and prostate cancer were perceived as lower risks. Physicians are integral public health liaisons who can be both influential and resourceful toward educating Asian Americans about specific cancer awareness and screening information.

• 보건교육건강증진학회지
• /
• 제26권1호
• /
• pp.93-104
• /
• 2009

Objectives: Although Asian immigrants have lower rates of smoking and binge drinking than other ethnics in the US, Korean Americans have the highest rate of Asian immigrants. This study, therefore, compared with the rates and examined the predictors of smoking and binge drinking by gender and ethnicity among Asian immigrants in California. Methods: In 2001 and 2003, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) were conducted in English and their original languages with Asian immigrants residing in 58 Counties and 3 Cities, California. We performed analysis to find out the differences of smoking and binge drinking rates using the secondary data, CHIS 2001 and 2003. Multiple logistic regression analysis for survey data identified predictors of smoking and binge drinking behaviors by gender and ethnicity. Results: Korean American males (35.4%) and Japanese American females (15.4%) had higher rates of smoking prevalence compared with other Asian immigrants in California. In binge drinking, 26.5% of male and 8.1% of female among Korean Americans were binge drinker, and the rates were the top with Asian Americans who had lived in California. It showed the remarkable gap between gender of smoking and binge drinking among Vietnamese immigrants, whereas not the striking difference among Japanese Americans. In multiple regression models, age, educational level, occupation, marital status, English proficiency, and health insurance coverage remained significant for smoking and binge drinking behaviors(P<0.05). Even though the time in the US was not significant, it seemed to be related to educational level and English proficiency. In particular among female, smoking and binge drinking behaviors were associated with acculturation. Conclusion: Although Asian Americans had shared with American culture since they had immigrated in the US, they had significantly different prevalence rates of smoking and binge drinking based on gender and ethnicity. Therefore, future efforts should be focused on understanding differences by ethnicity and target at high-risk subgroups. To achieve this, it needs to develop the educational materials in Korean and their original languages.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권24호
• /
• pp.10565-10571
• /
• 2015

Gastric cancer incidence rates vary dramatically by world region with East Asia having the highest rate. The Asian population of the United States (US) is growing rapidly and over 17 million Americans are of Asian descent. A majority of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Americans are immigrants. Americans of East and Southeast Asian descent experience marked gastric cancer disparities and the incidence rate among Korean men in the US is over five times higher than the incidence rate among non-Hispanic white men. Randomized controlled trials have provided evidence for the effectiveness of helicobacter pylori identification and eradication in preventing gastric cancer. Additionally, Japan and South Korea have both experienced improvements in gastric cancer mortality following the implementation of programs to detect early stage gastric cancers. There are currently no clear US guidelines regarding the primary and secondary prevention of gastric cancer in high-risk immigrant populations. However, it is likely that a proportion of US physicians are already recommending gastric cancer screening for Asian patients and some Asian immigrants to the US may be completing screening for gastric cancer in their native countries. Surveys of US primary care physicians and Asian American communities should be conducted to assess current provider practices and patient uptake with respect to gastric cancer prevention and control. In the absence of clinical guidelines, US health care providers who serve high-risk Asian groups could consider a shared decision-making approach to helicobacter pylori identification and eradication, as well as gastric endoscopy.

• 동아시아식생활학회지
• /
• 제11권2호
• /
• pp.140-150
• /
• 2001

This study was conducted to find out the desirable measures for maintenance and development traditional foods when abroad, by investigating the knowledge and actual state of utilization of Americans residing in the Los Angeles on Korean traditional foods. The 308 respondents of questionnaires were taken. 96% of the respondents demonstrated interest in traditional foods. Among kinds of traditional food, the most preferable food was boiled rice(71.4%) and Kimchi(70.9%) , The that traditional foods are used were good taste(45.4%) and familiar taste(41.6%). The reason for avoiding them was, mainly, troublesome cooking methods (46.3% ). Conclusively, the Korean Americans residing in the Los Angeles have made good use of boiled rice and Kimchi a staple common food, but special foods. ceremonial foods and festival foods were hardly used. To maintain Korean traditional foods when abroad, it is necessary that older generations sometimes offer opportunity to meet with them to the coming Korean generations, and Korean food companies develop and export standardized and simplified traditional foods.

• 한국사회복지학
• /
• 제67권4호
• /
• pp.227-249
• /
• 2015

본 연구의 목적은 미국에 거주하고 있는 정신장애를 가진 아시아계 미국인과 미국계 백인의 직업의 의미와 중요성, 직장에서 받는 메시지 및 차별에 대한 차이를 알아보는 것을 목적으로 한다. 고용은 단기적으로나 장기적으로 정신장애인의 회복에 긍정적인 영향을 미친다. 비록 정신장애인의 회복과 고용관련 서비스와 직업의 의미에 대한 연구가 진행 되고 있지만 다른 인종에 비해 서비스의 참여율이 낮고 중도포기율이 높은 정신장애를 가진 아시아계 미국인을 대상으로 시행된 연구는 전무하다. 그렇기 때문에 정신장애를 가진 아시아계 미국인이 생각하는 직업의 의미와 사회나 직장에서 경험하는 차별에 대한 연구가 필요하다. 본 연구는 양적 연구와 질적 연구를 혼합하는 방식을 적용하였다. 설문지 개발을 위해 Millner(2015)가 실시한 정신장애인의 직업과 장애에 대한 연구결과와 9명의 정신장애인들이 인지인터뷰와 파일럿 테스트에 참여하여 개방형/폐쇄형 질문을 포함한 설문지가 개발되었다. 설문은 5월부터 8월까지 실시되어 총 91명의 정신장애인이 성공적으로 설문을 완료하였다. 양적 분석을 위해 t-test가 사용되었으며 개방형 질문은 연구자가 함께 분석하였다. 정신장애를 가진 아시아계 미국인은 미국계 백인보다 직업에 대한 높은 열망을 가지고 있으며 직장 내에서 소수인종과 정신장애라는 이중장벽을 경험하는 것으로 나타났다. 가족 혹은 서비스 제공자에게 고용과 관련하여 인종과 장애로 인한 사회적 차별을 경험하고 부정적인 메시지를 받은 것으로 나타났다. 직업 서비스 제공자들은 다문화 정신장애인의 특성과 직업의 의미, 이들이 실제로 경험하고 있는 이중장벽과 사회적 차별을 이해하고 이를 줄이기 위해 노력해야 할 것이다.

• 사회복지연구
• /
• 제40권3호
• /
• pp.181-211
• /
• 2009

본 연구는 사회인지직업이론 (Social Cognitive Career Theory)을 근거로, 동양계 미국인의 문화적응도 (levels of acculturation)와 이민 세대 (family immigration status)에 따라 주변인들의 불인정 (disapproval by significant others)으로 인한 진로선택의 어려움과 부모의 진로에 대한 관여도 (parental involvement)가 달라진다는 가설을 검증하였다. 사회조사연구로 설계되었으며 370명의 동양계 미국사회복지사의 자료를 분석하였다. 연구결과, 이민세대에 따라 진로선택에 관련하여 부모의 관여도와 주변인들의 불인정으로 인한 진로어려움이 달라지는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 문화적응도는 부모의 진로 관여도와 주변인들의 불인정으로 인한 진로선택의 어려움에 유의미하게 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 연구결과를 바탕으로 진로선택행동에 영향을 미치는 문화적 요인들을 고려한, 동양계 미국인들을 위한 진로상담에 대한 함의가 논의되었다.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• 제8권1호
• /
• pp.9-18
• /
• 2007

This study focuses on the relationship between ethnic identity of Asian-Americans and their appreciation of their ethnic body features, based on reference group theory. A convenience sample of 60 male and 52 female students from various Asian ethnicities attending a mid-western university was used for the study. A 2 (gender) by 2 (ethnic identification) by 2 (socializing group) analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on body image satisfaction as dependent variable and Body Mass Index score as a covariate was conducted. A significant main effect of ethnic identification was found, which indicates the more respondents identified with their ethnic group, the more likely they were to be satisfied with their appearance. The social group affiliation main effect was not significant. The impact of ethnic identification was significant only for those respondents who socialize more with Americans than with Asians. The results support the idea that one's ethnic group functions as a reference group, which influences body image appraisals.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권11호
• /
• pp.6913-6917
• /
• 2013

Background: Although the PSA test has been used in Korea for over 20 years, the incidence of prostate cancer has risen, and the associated mortality has increased about 13-fold over the 20-year period. Also, several investigators have suggested that Asians in America are more likely to present with more advanced prostate cancer than Caucasians. We compared the characteristics of native Koreans and Americans (Caucasians and African-Americans) undergoing radical prostatectomies in Korea and the US. Materials and Methods: Study subjects comprised patients at Korean and US hospitals from 2004 to 2012 who had undergone radical prostatectomies. We compared the characteristics of the subjects, including age, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, body mass index (BMI), Gleason score, and pathological T stage. Results: In total, 1,159 males (502 Koreans, 657 Americans) were included. The Korean and American patients had mean ages of $67.1{\pm}6.6$ and $59.2{\pm}6.7$ years, respectively. The mean preoperative PSAs were $15.4{\pm}17.9$ and $6.2{\pm}4.6ng/mL$ (p=0.0001) and the mean BMIs were $23.6{\pm}2.6$ and $28.7{\pm}4.4kg/m^2$ (p=0.0001), respectively. Pathological localized prostate cancer represented 71.7% of cases for Koreans and 77.6% for Americans (p=0.07). According to age, Koreans had higher T stages than Americans in their 50s (p=0.021) and higher Gleason scores than Americans in all age groups. According to PSA, Koreans had higher Gleason scores than Americans for PSA >10 ng/mL (p<0.05). According to prostate size and Gleason scores, Koreans had higher PSA values than Americans (p<0.01). Conclusions: These results show that Korean patients have elevated risk of malignant prostate cancers, as indicated by the significantly higher Gleason scores and PSAs, suggesting a need for novel prostate cancer treatment strategies in Korea.