Immigrant Status, Resilience, and Perceived Oral Health Among Chinese Americans in Hawaii

Bei Wu, Yaolin Pei, Wei Zhang, Mary Northridge

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to examine the associations among immigrant status, resilience, and perceived oral health for Chinese American older adults in Hawaii. Method: Data derived from 430 Chinese American adults aged 55 years and older residing in Honolulu, HI. We compared the self-rated oral health and oral health problems between U.S.-born Chinese Americans and foreign-born Chinese Americans by using ordered logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression models. Results: Findings suggest that immigrant status and lower levels of resilience are associated with poorer self-rated oral health and more oral health problems for Chinese American older adults in Hawaii. Resilience is more strongly associated with self-rated oral health for U.S.-born Chinese American than for foreign-born Chinese Americans, but this pattern was not evident for oral health problems. Discussion: Older Chinese American immigrants in Hawaii are disadvantaged in terms of their oral health. Understanding their susceptibilities may lead to targeted interventions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)186-195
Number of pages10
JournalResearch on Aging
Volume42
Issue number5-6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2020

Keywords

  • Chinese Americans
  • immigration
  • oral health problems
  • resilience
  • self-rated oral health

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Health(social science)
  • Geriatrics and Gerontology

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