scholarly journals Associations Between Food Insecurity and Depression among Diverse Asian Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 188-198
Author(s):  
Sonia Lai ◽  
Deborah Huang ◽  
Indraneil Bardhan ◽  
Mijung Park
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Clinical Depression ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
The Past ◽  
Race Ethnicity

Background: Proper nutrition is an essential component to both physical and emotional health. Food insecurity (FI) is a potentially critical public health problem. The link between FI and elevated risk for depression has been well documented. Yet, it is largely unknown how diverse older adult populations experience FI differently. Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine how gender, race/ethnicity, and nativity may impact the magnitude of the association between FI and depression. Methods: We used a nationally representative sample of the Asian American population from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). We built logistic regression models with major depression in the past 12 months as the dependent variable, and FI as the independent variable. Several demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were added to the models to control for potential biases. All statistical estimates were weighted, using the recommended NLAAS sampling weight, to ensure representativeness of the US population. Results: About 35% (weighted adjusted 95% CI: 29.49–39.00) of Asian Americans experienced some level of FI at the time of survey. Experiencing FI over the past 12 months increased the likelihood of having clinical depression (weighted adjusted odds ratio: 1.44, weight adjusted confidence interval: 0.79–2.10). The magnitude of associations between FI and depression varied by race/ethnicity (F (7, 47) = 6.53, p (3, 41) = 10.56, p (3, 41) = 9.85). Conclusions: Food insecurity significantly increases the likelihood of clinical depression among Asian Americans. Greater attention is needed towards food-insecure Asian Americans and their mental health.

Social Anxiety and Assertiveness: The Role of Self-Beliefs in Asian Americans and European Americans

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K. Aoki ◽  
Jack Mearns ◽  
Sharon E. Robinson Kurpius
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Mood Regulation ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
European Americans ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Race Ethnicity

There is scholarly disagreement about whether Asian Americans are more socially anxious and less assertive than European Americans. We examined this question by exploring the interrelations among race/ethnicity, social anxiety, assertiveness, and self-beliefs related to mood regulation and sense of self. Participants were 72 Asian Americans and 63 European Americans who completed measures assessing negative mood regulation expectancies (NMRE), self-construal, social anxiety, and assertiveness. Moderated regression analyses revealed that independent self-construal, a self-belief, predicted both social anxiety and assertiveness regardless of participant race/ethnicity. Also, less social anxiety predicted more assertiveness, regardless of one's NMRE, also a self-belief. The most powerful predictors of assertiveness were social anxiety and self-construal. These findings suggest that when working with clients experiencing concerns about social anxiety or assertiveness, mental health counselors should explore their clients' self-beliefs, regardless of whether clients are Asian American or European American.

scholarly journals SEEING A MEDICAL DOCTOR IS ASSOCIATED WITH SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING QUITTING SMOKING

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 9-17
Author(s):  
Anca D. DRAGOMIR ◽  
Wenxuan YANG ◽  
George LUTA
Keyword(s):  
Research Work ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Medical Doctor ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
The Past ◽  
Significant Public Health Problem ◽  
Quitting Smoking ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Unadjusted Analysis

Smoking is a very significant public health problem. Quitting smoking will greatly reduce related morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between seeing a medical doctor during the past 12 months and seriously considering quitting smoking within the next 6 months, among US smokers. The self-reported information on 3102 current smokers used for the study was from the May 2010 Longitudinal Cohort from the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey. We used logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for the clustering of smokers within households. In unadjusted analysis, seeing a medical doctor in the past year was statistically significantly associated with seriously considering quitting smoking (OR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.33-1.82). The results after adjustment for confounders, and also after further adjustment for additional variables, were similar (OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.35-1.89). We found that seeing a medical doctor was statistically significantly associated with seriously considering quitting smoking among US smokers. Further research work should consider the potential role of income and marital status as effect modifiers for this association.

scholarly journals Older Americans With Disability Are Vulnerable to Economic and Food Insecurity During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 203-203
Author(s):  
Shinae Choi ◽  
Eun Ha Namkung ◽  
Deborah Carr
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Income Loss ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Medical Bills

Abstract This study investigated whether older Americans with physical disability were vulnerable to three types of economic insecurity (difficulty paying regular bills, difficulty paying medical bills, income loss) and two types of food insecurity (economic obstacles, logistical obstacles) during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the extent to which associations are moderated by three personal characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity) and two pandemic-specific risk factors (job loss, COVID-19 diagnosis). Data were from a random 25 percent subsample of the Health and Retirement Study participants who completed a COVID-19 module administered in 2020. Our analytic sample included 3,166 adults aged 51 and older. We estimated logistic regression models to document the odds of experiencing each hardship. Persons with three or more functional limitations reported significantly higher odds of both types of food insecurity, and difficulty paying regular and medical bills, relative to those with no limitations. After controlling for health conditions, effects were no longer significant for paying medical bills, and attenuated yet remained statistically significant for other outcomes. Patterns did not differ significantly on the basis of the moderator variables. Older adults with more functional limitations are vulnerable to economic and food insecurity during the pandemic, potentially exacerbating the physical and emotional health threats imposed by the pandemic. Our findings reveal an urgent need to promote policies and procedures to protect older adults with disability from economic and food insecurity. Supports for older adults with disability should focus on logistical as well as financial support for ensuring food security.

scholarly journals The Overlooked Burden of Food Insecurity among Asian Americans: Results from the California Health Interview Survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monideepa Becerra ◽  
Salome Mshigeni ◽  
Benjamin Becerra
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
California Health Interview Survey ◽  
Health Interview Survey ◽  
Health Interview ◽  
Interview Survey ◽  
At Home

Objective: Food insecurity remains a major public health issue in the United States, though lack of research among Asian Americans continue to underreport the issue. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and burden of food insecurity among disaggregated Asian American populations. Methods: The California Health Interview Survey, the largest state health survey, was used to assess the prevalence of food insecurity among Asian American subgroups with primary exposure variable of interest being acculturation. Survey-weighted descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable robust Poisson regression analyses, were conducted and alpha less than 0.05 was used to denote significance. Results: The highest prevalence of food insecurity was found among Vietnamese (16.42%) and the lowest prevalence was among Japanese (2.28%). A significant relationship was noted between prevalence of food insecurity and low acculturation for Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese subgroups. Language spoken at home was significant associated with food insecurity. For example, among Chinese, being food insecure was associated with being bilingual (prevalence ratio [PR] = 2.51) or speaking a non-English language at home (PR = 7.24), while among South Asians, it was associated with speaking a non-English language at home was also related to higher prevalence (PR = 3.62), as compared to English speakers only. Likewise, being foreign-born also related to being food insecure among Chinese (PR = 2.31), Filipino (PR = 1.75), South Asian (PR = 3.35), Japanese (PR = 2.11), and Vietnamese (PR = 3.70) subgroups, when compared to their US-born counterparts. Conclusion: There is an imperative need to address food insecurity burden among Asian Americans, especially those who have low acculturation.

Learning from the Alternative Asian American Press: A Close Look at Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in Education through Gidra

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-130
Author(s):  
Jean Ryoo
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Pacific Islander ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Pacific Islanders ◽  
The Past ◽  
American Press ◽  
Education Today ◽  
K 12

Through a careful analysis of the educational concerns and efforts described by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) activists in Gidra—the first radical Asian American newspaper described as “the journalistic arm of the [Asian American] Movement” (Wei, 1993, 103)—this article explores ways that current educators, public policy writers, and researchers can learn from the stories of the past to improve the state of K–12 education today. Drawing from five years of monthly Gidra publications, this article illustrates parallels between past and current issues in AAPI K–12 education while offering suggestions for action and change.

Psychosocial Issues Among Asian Americans: Results from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS)

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Takeuchi ◽  
Oanh Meyer ◽  
Nolan Zane ◽  
Stanley Sue ◽  
Manveen Dhindsa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Psychosocial Issues ◽  
American Study

Choosing to be the Hero, the Joker, the Villain: An Interview with Arthur Dong

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Oliver Wang
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Short Film ◽  
Recent Experience ◽  
West Hollywood

Oliver Wang interviews documentary filmmaker Arthur Dong. Originally from San Francisco, Dong began his career as a student filmmaker in the 1970s before releasing the Oscar-nominated short film, Sewing Woman in 1982. Since then, his films have focused on the role of Chinese and Asian Americans in entertainment industries as well as on anti-LGBQ discrimination. In the interview, Wang and Dong discuss Dong's beginnings as a high school filmmaker, his decision to turn the story of his seamstress mother into Sewing Woman, his struggle to bring together the Asian American and queer film communities and his recent experience in staging a “Hollywood Chinese” exhibit inside a renovated bar in West Hollywood.

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