Lifestyle Behaviors Predict Negative and Positive Changes in Self-reported Health: The Role of Immigration to the United States for Koreans.

Studies of changes in health following immigration are inconsistent, and few are based on longitudinal designs to test associations based on change. This study identified factors that predicted changes in self-reported health (SRH) among California residents of Korean descent. A sample of California residents of Korean descent were interviewed and followed-up 2 or 3 times by telephone during 2001-2009. The questionnaires dealt with SRH, lifestyle behaviors (smoking, physical activity, and fast food consumption), and socioeconomic measures. Statistical analysis included random-intercepts longitudinal regression models predicting change in SRH. A similar percentage of respondents reported improved and deteriorating SRH (30.3% and 29.1%, respectively). Smoking, consumption of fast foods, age, percentage of life spent in the United States, and being female were predictors of deteriorating SRH, whereas physical activity, education, and living with a partner were predictive of improvement in SRH. The effect of immigration on SRH is influenced by socioeconomic factors and lifestyle practices. Results support promotion of healthy lifestyle practices among immigrants.

Compliance with smoke-free policies in korean bars and restaurants in california: a descriptive analysis.

BACKGROUND: Compliance with California's smoke-free restaurant and bar policies may be more a function of social contingencies and less a function of legal contingencies. The aims of this study were: 1) to report indications of compliance with smoke-free legislation in Korean bars and restaurants in California; 2) to examine the demographic, smoking status, and acculturation factors of who smoked indoors; and 3) to report social cues in opposition to smoking among a sample of Koreans in California. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected by telephone surveys administered by bilingual interviewers between 2007-2009, and included California adults of Korean descent who visited a Korean bar or restaurant in a typical month (N=2,173, 55% female). RESULTS: 1% of restaurant-going participants smoked inside while 7% observed someone else smoke inside a Korean restaurant. Some 23% of bar-going participants smoked inside and 65% observed someone else smoke inside a Korean bar. Presence of ashtrays was related to indoor smoking in bars and restaurants. Among participants who observed smoking, a higher percentage observed someone ask a smoker to stop (17.6%) or gesture to a smoker (27.0%) inside Korean restaurants (N=169) than inside Korean bars (n=141, 17.0% observed verbal cue and 22.7% observed gesture). Participants who smoked inside were significantly younger and more acculturated than participants who did not. Less acculturated participants were significantly more to likely to be told to stop smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Ten years after implementation of ordinances, smoking appears to be common in Korean bars in California.

Changes in and factors affecting second-hand smoke exposure in nonsmoking Korean Americans in California: a panel study.

PURPOSE: We evaluated changes in and factors affecting second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in a panel study of nonsmokers. METHODS: This study was based on data from a larger study of tobacco use among a representative sample of adults of Korean descent residing in California. Participants included 846 males and 1,399 females who were nonsmokers at baseline (2005-2006) and at follow-up (2007-2009). Participants were selected by probability sampling and were interviewed by telephone. RESULTS: At baseline, 50.0% were exposed to any SHS, and at follow-up 2 years later, 60.4% were exposed to any SHS (p < .001). SHS exposure at baseline was associated with acculturation, employment, spousal smoking, and having a friend who smoked (p < .001). Employment, spousal smoking, and other family members smoking were associated with SHS at follow-up (p < .001). The odds ratio of SHS in the employed group declined from 2.01 at baseline to 1.53 at follow-up, that of the group having a smoking spouse increased from 1.88 to 2.36, and that of the group having other family members smoking increased from 1.20 to 1.69. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that SHS exposure increased among Korean American nonsmokers in California, and the most important variables explaining the change in SHS exposure involved smoking among others with whom the subject is associated. These findings could be used as objective evidence for developing public health policies to reduce SHS exposure.

Korean American women's preventive health care practices: stratified samples in California, USA.

Using data from a larger study, we explored the characteristics of preventive health care practices (influenza vaccination, mammogram, and Pap test) among a representative sample of 1,786 Korean American women residing in California by telephone. Three preventive health care practices were related to the goals set by Healthy People 2010. Participants with no education in the United States, who were born in Korea, resided in the United States longer, and had a primary care provider were more likely than others to reach these goals. Our findings indicate that a behavioral model was suitable to explain the three preventive health care practices.

It's others, not the police: smoking, reprimand, and fines among adults of Korean descent in California.

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the association of immediate social and legal reprimand and current smoking status among Californians of Korean descent. DESIGN: Data were drawn from a population-based probability sample using a telephone survey conducted by bilingual, professional interviewers (N = 2085). About 85.0% of eligible respondents completed interviews and 86.3% of participants preferred to be interviewed in Korean. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Smoking status was measured using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, ever smoked 100 cigarettes and currently smoke every day or some days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Reports of immediate criticism by others in several settings was associated with nonsmoking, but likelihood of immediate legal penalties was unrelated. Participants were far less likely to expect legal than social sanction. Results were replicated after controlling for reinforcers of smoking and ecologically relevant variables including models of smoking, primary group social support for smoking, acculturation, sex, acculturation by sex (male) interaction, age, and education. It may be efficacious to target public health interventions encouraging appropriate social sanctions of smoking in public among persons of Korean descent, and to encourage strict enforcement of legal penalties for smoking in public places.