Abstract
This study investigated predictors of and pathways to health literacy among Korean American immigrants residing in New York City (n = 407). Social Cognitive Theory guided the study and the Chew et al. 16-item health literacy screening scale was employed. Structural equation modeling using Mplus 4.21 tested the proposed conceptual model. Findings revealed that education and English proficiency were the most influential predictors of health literacy; education was directly associated with health literacy and indirectly through language proficiency. Predictors of greater English proficiency included higher levels of education, younger age, and unmarried status. The findings suggest that immigrants with minimal English abilities, little education, and no health insurance have particular intervention needs, perhaps best met by a patient-centered approach focusing on individual language needs and cultural health beliefs.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 255-269 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding for this research was provided to the first author by a grant from the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MIN-55-01). The authors extend their gratitude to the Korean American immigrants who participated in this study.
Keywords
- Health literacy
- Korean American immigrants
- health disparity
- patient-centered practice
- underserved immigrants
