The association of self-rated health and lifestyle behaviors among foreign-born Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans

• Published in: Quality of life research Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 243 - 252
• Main Authors: Tran, Thanh V., Nguyen, Duy, Chan, Keith, Nguyen, Thuc-Nhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.03.2013; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcohol; Alcohol drinking; Alcohol use; Asian Americans; Asian Americans - psychology; Asian people; Asians; California; China - ethnology; Chinese Americans; Chronic illnesses; Cigarette smoking; Cigarettes; Confidence Intervals; Cultural differences; Education; Ethnicity; Exercise; Female; Filipino Americans; Health; Health behavior; Health Behavior - ethnology; Health Status; Health Surveys; Humans; Immigration; Life Style; Lifestyle; Lifestyles; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; Mortality; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Noncitizens; Odds Ratio; Older people; Physical fitness; Population growth; Poverty; Public Health; Quality of Life; Quality of Life Research; Republic of Korea - ethnology; Risk Reduction Behavior; Self Report; Smoking; Sociology; Tobacco; Vietnam - ethnology; Womens health; Young Adult; Vietnam; California; China; Republic of Korea; United States > US; Health status; Lifestyle behaviors; Asian Americans; Immigrants
• ISSN: 0962-9343; 1573-2649
• DOI: 10.1007/s11136-012-0155-1

Purpose This study employed the 2009 California Health Interview Survey to examine the association of self-rated heath status and lifestyle behavior variables such as smoking at least 100 cigarettes or more in an entire lifetime, alcohol consumption, and physical activity level among foreign-born Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans aged 18 and older. Methods The total study sample consisted of 3,023 foreign-born adult Chinese (n = 812), Korean (n = 857), and Vietnamese (n = 1,354) Americans. Logistic regression via Stata 12 was employed. Odds ratios (OR) along with confidence intervals (CI) were reported in the results. Results Results revealed that smoking at least 100 cigarettes or more in an entire lifetime had a negative association with good health status (OR = 0.74, 95 % CI = 0.59, 0.94), while alcohol consumption had a positive association with good health status (OR = 1.20, 95 % CI = 1.00, 1.44). Moderate physical activity (OR = 1.26, 95 % CI = 1.05, 1.50) and vigorous physical activity (OR = 1.68, 95 % CI = 1.31, 2.15) had a similar positive association with good self-rated health status. The results also revealed that the predicted probability of self-rated health status based on ethnicity and lifestyle variables was more favorable for foreign-born Chinese Americans than their Korean and Vietnamese American counterparts. Conclusions This study's results corroborated the findings reported in previous research on the association of lifestyle behaviors and health status. Regardless of racial or ethnic backgrounds, good lifestyles have an important role in the prevention of poor health status. However, health education and lifestyle intervention programs should take cultural differences among racial and ethnic populations into consideration.