scholarly journals Immigrant Status, Resilience, and Perceived Oral Health Among Chinese Americans in Hawaii

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 186-195
Author(s):  
Bei Wu ◽  
Yaolin Pei ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Mary Northridge

Objectives: This study aims to examine the associations among immigrant status, resilience, and perceived oral health for Chinese American older adults in Hawaii. Method: Data derived from 430 Chinese American adults aged 55 years and older residing in Honolulu, HI. We compared the self-rated oral health and oral health problems between U.S.-born Chinese Americans and foreign-born Chinese Americans by using ordered logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression models. Results: Findings suggest that immigrant status and lower levels of resilience are associated with poorer self-rated oral health and more oral health problems for Chinese American older adults in Hawaii. Resilience is more strongly associated with self-rated oral health for U.S.-born Chinese American than for foreign-born Chinese Americans, but this pattern was not evident for oral health problems. Discussion: Older Chinese American immigrants in Hawaii are disadvantaged in terms of their oral health. Understanding their susceptibilities may lead to targeted interventions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 800-800
Author(s):  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Wei Zhang

Abstract Adult children play an important role in older immigrants’ health outcomes. Research has indicated that older adults may benefit from adult children caregivers’ support for oral health. However, little is known about children’s support for improving oral health for older immigrants. Using the 2018 survey of 430 Chinese older adults age 55 and older in Honolulu, Hawai’i, we examine the associations among immigrant status, adult children’s support and perceived oral health for Chinese American older adults. Emotional support from adult children protects the self-rated oral health for the immigrant group, while financial support is linked to fewer oral health problems among the US-born group. Therefore, the current study underlines the importance of investigating different pathways among foreign-born and native-born Chinese older adults with regard to children’s support on their oral health outcomes. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Oral Health Interest Group.


2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110187
Author(s):  
Weiyu Mao ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Iris Chi ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
XinQi Dong

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between acculturation and subsequent oral health problems in older Chinese Americans and to further test the moderating role of neighborhood disorder in such a relationship. Methods: The working sample included 2,706 foreign-born community-dwelling older Chinese Americans aged 60 years or older who participated in the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago at baseline between 2011 and 2013 and the 2-year follow-up between 2013 and 2015. Stepwise Poisson regressions with lagged dependent variable were conducted. Results: Behavioral acculturation was protective against subsequent oral health problems, and the protective role was stronger among individuals reporting lower levels of neighborhood disorder. Residence in Chinatown was associated with an increase in the risk of subsequent oral health problems. Discussion: To reduce oral health symptoms and related burdens, it is important to consider, in practice and policy, the role of acculturation and the neighborhood on subsequent oral health outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S590-S590
Author(s):  
Bei Wu ◽  
Yaolin Pei ◽  
Wei Zhang

Abstract Very few studies have compared oral health status between the US-born and foreign-born immigrant older adults. Using data collected among 430 Chinese older adults age 55+ residing in Hawai’i, we examined the association between immigrant status and oral health related quality of life (OHQoL) and the moderating role of resilience in linking the association. Controlling for some key covariates, our study results show that US-born Chinese immigrant older adults had better OHQoL than their foreign born counterparts. Factors such as higher level of education (graduate degree or higher), better self-reported health status and no significant tooth loss were related to better OHQoL. The association between immigrant status and OHQoL was moderated by resilience. Specially, resilience was positively and significantly associated with OHQoL among U.S.-born older adults but not among the foreign-born ones. Our findings indicate the importance of immigration and resilience in shaping oral health outcomes among older Chinese Americans.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 414-415
Author(s):  
Xi Chen ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Stephen Shuman

Abstract Older adults face a unique challenge in maintaining their oral health due to an increased disease burden, polypharmacy, functional impairment and other reasons. The five papers in this symposium describe the oral health issues in various groups of older adults and discuss different approaches to improve oral health for older adults. Using data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, the first paper examined the relationship between self-reported discrimination and oral health related quality of life and investigated how resilience mediated such a relationship among foreign-born older Chinese Americans. The second paper described the oral health concerns and related treatment needs in older adults receiving palliative care using a mixed method design. The third paper demonstrated how to use behavior change techniques to improve oral self-care skills of individuals with mild dementia and support their family caregivers. The fourth paper described a project that integrates the age-friendly health system's principles into specialty dental care to address healthy aging and oral health. This initiative helped prevent and change the false belief that aging inevitably involves deterioration in oral health. The fifth paper described the impact of COVID-19 on the management of oral health problems and access to dental care in older adults. Transformative changes in care delivery and the impact of vaccination on access to care was also explored. This symposium helps better understand the oral health needs in older adults and provides new evidence to improve oral health for these individuals.


2000 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. M366-M371 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Ritchie ◽  
K. Joshipura ◽  
R. A. Silliman ◽  
B. Miller ◽  
C. W. Douglas

2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Han Lee ◽  
Yen-Chang Chang ◽  
Timothy Chiang ◽  
Ching-Ti Liu ◽  
Mack Shelley

It has been discussed previously that older adults’ living arrangements are associated with mortality. This study investigated the relationships between older adults’ living arrangements and sleep-related outcomes in China. The nationally representative sample included 4,731 participants who participated on two different occasions, with a total of 9,462 observations (2012 and 2014 waves). Panel logistic regression and panel ordinary least squares regression models were estimated with outcomes of sleep quality and average hours of sleep daily, respectively. Approximately 62% of individuals reported good quality of sleep. We observed that older adults who lived with family members had 17% greater odds of reporting good quality of sleep (adjusted odds ratio = 1.17, 95% confidence interval [1.03, 1.34], p < .05) and reported longer sleep duration daily (β = .334, standard error = .069, p < .01), compared with those who lived alone. Social support is needed to strengthen the residential relationship, especially with family members.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S349-S349
Author(s):  
Bei Wu ◽  
Stephen K Shuman ◽  
Michele Saunders

Abstract There is an increasing awareness of the importance of oral health and its associated risk factors among older adults. This symposium includes four papers that address cognitive function, social support and oral health problems and symptoms among older adults in the U.S. and China. Lu and his colleagues examined the reciprocal relationship between cognitive function and complete tooth loss Chinese adults age 50+ using the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal study. The results show that there is a reciprocal relationship between these two indicators. The second paper used the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE) and examined the associations between tooth/gums symptoms and changes in cognitive function in Chinese older immigrants. The results reveal that having teeth symptoms was associated with a decline in cognitive function. Using the same PINE data, the third paper examined the association between different characteristics of social relationships and the number of oral health problems among U.S. older Chinese adults. Wu and her colleagues conducted a partner-assisted pilot intervention to improve oral health for community-dwelling older adults with either mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. The results of this 6-month intervention show that persons in the treatment group had more improvement in oral hygiene than those in the control group. Findings from these four papers illustrate that cognitive function, social support, and oral health are interrelated. This symposium highlights the importance of improving cognitive health, social support, and oral health for middle-aged and older adults.


Author(s):  
Weiyu Mao ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Iris Chi ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
Xinqi Dong

Abstract Background and Objectives Despite an increasing, yet still limited amount of research on social determinants of oral health, the influences of neighborhood characteristics remain understudied, especially within the context of immigration. Acculturation is multidimensional, and its influences on the oral health of immigrants vary across age and ethnic groups. This study investigated the relationship between neighborhood cohesion and oral health problems among older Chinese American immigrants, and whether and to what extent acculturation indicators moderate the relationship between such cohesion and oral health. Methods The research design and working sample included 3,157 older Chinese American immigrants aged 60 years or older from the baseline of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago. Neighborhood cohesion was measured by a six-item scale. Oral health problems were measured by the presence or absence of such problems. Acculturation included residence in ethnic enclaves, length of stay, and behavioral acculturation. Stepwise logistic regression models with interaction terms (Neighborhood cohesion × Acculturation) were conducted to examine the association between neighborhood cohesion and oral health problems, accounting for sociodemographics, health conditions, and health behaviors. Results Individuals experiencing higher levels of neighborhood cohesion reported a lower likelihood of having oral health problems. The protective effect of neighborhood cohesion against having oral health problems was stronger when individuals resided in ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown. Discussion and Implications To promote optimal oral health, interventions need to account for individuals’ perceptions and levels of integration into their neighborhoods and communities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S607-S607
Author(s):  
Sizhe Liu ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Keqing Zhang ◽  
Bei Wu

Abstract Regular dental cleaning is vital to maintaining good oral health. This study aims to identify socio-demographic characteristics that are associated with the use of dental cleaning services among Chinese older adults in Honolulu, Hawai’i. In addition, we examine if birth-place moderates these associations. The data for this study were collected from 398 Chinese older adults living in Honolulu. Results from multivariate logistic regressions showed that those who were married and with higher levels of education were more likely to have their teeth cleaned within the past year compared to those who were not married or with lower levels of education. These significant associations were only found salient for the foreign-born when the moderating role of birth place was accounted for in the model. These differences may be partially due to the impact of acculturation and the knowledge of oral health and dental services.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerio Baćak ◽  
Sigrún Ólafsdóttir

Aims: The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the concurrent validity of self-rated health for mental and physical health in Europe; and (2) evaluate whether self-rated health predicts health problems differentially by gender. Methods: Data are from 19 European countries surveyed in the 2014 European Social Survey. We applied ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between self-rated health and summary indicators of physical and mental health problems. Results: We observed an association between self-rated health and both physical and mental health problems in all countries. Gender differences in the concurrent validity of self-rated health were documented in eleven out of 19 countries. Conclusions: Self-rated health is a valid and efficient measure of physical and mental health across the European continent, with significantly greater concurrent validity among women.


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