scholarly journals Health Risks Posed by Social and Linguistic Isolation in Older Korean Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 303-303
Author(s):  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Hyunwoo Yoon ◽  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
David Chiriboga ◽  
Miyong Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Older Immigrants ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Fair Poor ◽  
Older Korean Americans

Abstract Guided by the double jeopardy hypothesis, the present study examined the health risks posed by the coexistence of social and linguistic isolation in older Korean Americans. Using data from the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA, n = 2,032), comparisons of four isolation typologies (no isolation, social isolation only, linguistic isolation only, and dual isolation) were made, and their impacts on physical (self-rated health), mental (mental distress), and cognitive health (cognitive performance) were examined. The ‘dual isolation’ group exhibited greater sociodemographic and health disadvantages. The odds of having fair/poor health, mental distress, and cognitive impairment were 2.21-3.17 times higher in the ‘dual isolation’ group than those in the group with no isolation. Our findings confirm that both social relationships and language proficiency are key elements for older immigrants’ social connectedness and integration, deprivation of which puts them at risk in multidimensions of health.

scholarly journals PHYSICAL-MENTAL-ORAL-COGNITIVE HEALTH IN OLDER KOREAN AMERICANS: A MULTISITE STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S406-S406
Author(s):  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
Min-Kyoung Rhee ◽  
Hyunwoo Yoon ◽  
Yong Ju Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
The Status ◽  
Health Domains ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Fair Poor ◽  
Older Korean Americans

Abstract Using data from surveys with older Korean Americans (n = 2,150) conducted at five sites in the U.S. (California, New York, Texas, Hawaii, and Florida), the present study explored the status of physical/mental/oral/cognitive health and its determinants. For each health domain, we examined how self-rating (excellent/very good/good/fair/poor) of health was associated with other domain-relevant indicators (e.g., the number of chronic diseases, symptoms of depression, problems with teeth or gums, or cognitive performance) and sociocultural factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, acculturation, social network, and social cohesion). Geographic variation was also considered. The correlations between self-ratings and domain-relevant indicators in all health domains were significant but moderate. A series of multivariate regression models of self-ratings of physical/mental/oral/cognitive health not only confirmed the effect of the domain-relevant health indicators but also demonstrated a critical contribution of sociocultural determinants. Implications for older immigrants were discussed in terms of place, culture, and context.

Bridging Potential in Friend Networks and Cognitive Function in Older Korean Americans

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110412
Author(s):  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Jangmin Kim ◽  
Hyunwoo Yoon ◽  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
David A. Chiriboga
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Direct Benefit ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
Older Immigrants ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Older Korean Americans ◽  
Shed Light

Objectives To examine the associates of bridging potential in networks of friends and its impact on cognitive function in older Korean Americans. Methods Data came from 308 participants in Central Florida who were part of the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA). Using data from a name generator of three close friends in local Korean communities, non-overlapping networks were quantified for bridging potential. Linear regression models for bridging potential and cognitive function were examined. Results Bridging potential was greater among those with stronger social ties with friends in general and higher levels of activity engagement. The direct benefit of bridging potential on cognitive function was also confirmed. In addition, bridging potential was found to mediate the effect of social ties with friends on cognitive function. Discussion Findings underscore the interconnectedness of older immigrants’ social and cognitive function and shed light on interventions.

Health risks posed by social and linguistic isolation in older Korean Americans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Hyunwoo Yoon ◽  
Juyoung Park ◽  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
David A. Chiriboga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Older Korean Americans

scholarly journals Cognitive health risks posed by social isolation and loneliness in older Korean Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Eun Young Choi ◽  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
David A. Chiriboga ◽  
Lei Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Older Korean Americans

Abstract Background This study examines associations among social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive health risks in older Korean Americans, focusing on the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between social isolation and objective and subjective measures of cognitive impairment. Methods Data are from 2061 participants in the Study of Older Korean Americans, a multi-state survey of Korean immigrants age 60 and older (Mage = 73.2, SD = 7.93). Social isolation was indexed with the Lubben Social Network Scale− 6; loneliness, with the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale. Objective and subjective measures of cognitive impairment included the Mini-Mental State Examination and a single-item self-rating of cognitive health. Results In the logistic regression model for objective cognitive impairment, social isolation was significantly associated, but loneliness was not. In the model for subjective cognitive impairment, both social isolation and loneliness were significant factors. However, the effect of social isolation became non-significant when loneliness was considered, suggesting a potential mediating role of loneliness. The subsequent mediation analysis confirmed that the indirect effect of social isolation on subjective cognitive impairment through loneliness was significant (B = .20, SE = .03, 95% CI = .12, .28). Conclusion Our analyses provide evidence for the proposed mediating effect of loneliness in the relationship between social isolation and subjective cognitive impairment. Intervention efforts should focus on reducing feelings of loneliness experienced by older immigrants, possibly by engaging them in socially meaningful and cognitively stimulating activities.

The Relations of Social Network Types With Mental Distress Among Older Korean Americans: The Interactive Role of Living Arrangement

2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752199978
Author(s):  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
Yuri Jang ◽  
David A. Chiriboga ◽  
Soondool Chung
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Latent Profile Analyses ◽  
Restricted Group ◽  
Criterion Variables ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Older Korean Americans

The purpose of this study is to identify social network types in older Korean Americans and to examine their direct associations, as well as interactions with living arrangement, on mental distress. Drawn from the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA), participants were aged 60 or over and lived in five states. Analyses included 2,140 cases surveyed during 2017−2018. To identify social network types, latent profile analyses were conducted using 10 network-related criterion variables. A model with five social network types was identified as best fit. The groups were labeled as diverse, moderately diverse, family deficit, friend deficit, and restricted. As hypothesized, greater mental distress was associated with belonging to more deprived networks such as family deficit and restricted groups. Interaction effects also suggest that members of the restricted group were more distressed when they lived alone than when they lived with others. Implications based on the results are discussed.

Discordance Between Subjective and Objective Cognitive Function in Older Korean Americans

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432098840
Author(s):  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Eun Young Choi ◽  
Yujin Franco ◽  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
David A. Chiriboga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Personal Resources ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Discordant Group ◽  
Fair Poor ◽  
Normal Cognition ◽  
Older Korean Americans

Objectives: To examine predictors of membership in discordant groups identified by subjective and objective measures of cognitive function. Methods: Participants in the Study of Older Korean Americans ( N = 2046) were classified according to their subjective cognitive ratings ( excellent/ very good/ good vs. fair/ poor) and Mini-Mental State Examination scores (normal cognition vs. cognitive impairment), yielding two discordant groups: (1) positive ratings but cognitive impairment and (2) negative ratings but normal cognition. Logistic regression models examined how the discordant group membership was associated with personal resources. Results: Among those with positive cognitive ratings, the odds of belonging to the discordant group were associated with low personal resources (advanced age and lower levels of education, acculturation, and knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease). However, an opposite pattern was observed among those with negative ratings. Discussion: The pattern of discordance suggests ways to promote early detection of cognitive impairment and close the gap in cognitive health care.

scholarly journals Correlates of Loneliness in Older Korean Americans: Interactive Effects of Negative Family Interactions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 634-634
Author(s):  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
Yuri Jang ◽  
David Chiriboga ◽  
Soondool Chung
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Korean Americans ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Family Interactions ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Older Immigrants ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Older Korean Americans

Abstract This study examined factors affecting the feelings of loneliness among older Korean Americans. Data were drawn from a survey with older Korean Americans aged 60 or over (N = 2,150) in five states (California, New York, Texas, Hawaii, and Florida), conducted during 2017−2018. In hierarchical multiple regression models, loneliness was regressed on five blocks of variables: (1) demographic/health (age, gender, education, financial status, chronic conditions, and physical disabilities); (2) immigration-related (length of stay in the U.S., and acculturation); (3) social engagement (having meals alone, family network, friend network, activity participation, and community engagement); (4) negative family interactions; and (5) interactions of negative family interactions with social engagement variables. A significant interaction was found in the relationship between friend network and negative family interactions: the impact of negative family interactions on loneliness was buffered by friend network. Implications of findings were discussed regarding working with older immigrants with limited social networks.

Interpersonal Stress and Poor Health

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette M. Aanes ◽  
Maurice B. Mittelmark ◽  
Jørn Hetland
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Total Effect ◽  
Subjective Feeling ◽  
Interpersonal Stress ◽  
The Relationship

This paper investigated whether the lack of social connectedness, as measured by the subjective feeling of loneliness, mediates the well-known relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological distress. Furthermore, a relationship between interpersonal stress and somatic symptoms was hypothesized. The study sample included 3,268 women and 3,220 men in Western Norway. The main findings were that interpersonal stress was significantly related to psychological distress as well as to somatic symptoms, both directly and indirectly via paths mediated by loneliness. The size of the indirect effects varied, suggesting that the importance of loneliness as a possible mediator differs for depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and somatic symptoms. In the case of depressive symptoms, more than 75% of the total effect was mediated through loneliness, while in the case of somatic symptoms just over 40% of the total effect was mediated through loneliness. This study supports the hypotheses that social connectedness mediates a relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological distress. The study also provides the first link between interpersonal stress, as measured by the Bergen Social Relationships Scale, and somatic symptoms, extending earlier research on the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological distress.

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