Hee Yun Lee|Taeho Greg Rhee|Nam Keol Kim|Jasjit S. Ahluwalia
Health Literacy as a Social Determinant of Health in Asian American Immigrants: Findings from a Population-Based Survey in California
Minnesota Department of Education|University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota|Minnesota Department of Education|University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota
asian american immigrants lower level health literacy nonlatino whites level health literacy impact health outcomes may differ among subgroups investigated level health literacy across five subgroups asian american immigrants explored association health literacy selfrated health status symptoms depression utilized crosssectional survey research design populationbased sampling strategy using 2007 california health interview survey chis sampled 30615 nonlatino whites 3053 asian american immigrants 1058 chinese 598 koreans 534 filipinos 416 south asians 447 vietnamese used two questions proxy measures assess level health literacy nonlatino whites aggregated disaggregated asian american immigrant groups investigated effect health literacy two main health outcomes selfrated health status depression symptoms level health literacy varied across five subgroups asian american immigrants chinese korean vietnamese groups lowest levels health literacy filipinos showed highest level health literacy positively correlated health status chinese korean immigrants negatively correlated depression symptoms korean south asian immigrants found heterogeneity health literacy among asian american immigrants found health literacy varying associations health outcomes aggregated asian american immigrant group results may mask true health disparities asian american immigrant group faces koreans group found significant association proxy health literacy health outcomes research needed better understand causes heterogeneity investigate health literacy critical determinant immigrant health