• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1179-1200
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• 2008

Knowledge about somatization (somatic manifestation of psychological distress symptoms) among immigrant populations is limited. While several studies have recognized somatization as a culturally distinctive expression of depression amongst older Korean immigrant population, somatization has not been incorporated into the comprehensive empirical model for depression of this population. In order to improve our general understanding of the phenomenon, the objective of this study is to empirically investigate principal contributing factors of somatization as well as inter-relationships among them. Data were collected from a cross-sectional community survey of 234 older Korean immigrants ($$age{\geq_-}55$$) in the New York metropolitan area. The statistical methodology employed a robust hierarchical regression procedure that iteratively downweights outliers. The results indicated that living arrangement, greater numbers of physical illnesses, and depression were significant explanatory factors of somatization. Furthermore, physical illness had a significant joint effect with perception of health on somatization, which confirms that positive perception of health exerts a moderating effect on the relationship between physical illness and somatization. The knowledge obtained from this study will contribute toward extending our knowledge on somatization and implementing more culturally sensitive mental health services for this population.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.801-821
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• 2020

There are a number of prior studies on the poverty experience of Korean women, but little is known about the poverty experience of Korean elderly women in the U.S. The purpose of this study is to examine the poverty experiences of Korean elderly women who immigrated to the U. S. Qualitative case study methods were used to achieve these research objectives. Three Korean elderly women living in Oakland of California who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the U.S. federal government were included in the study. The data were collected by conducting a total of six meetings per participant, and the researcher read the consent form directly to the participants and obtained a hand-written signature. The analysis and interpretation began by repeating the interview transcript several times, and the repeated keywords were to be understood in the context, focusing on time, space, and relationships with other people. The contextual understanding of Korean elderly women's experiences in poverty was interpreted in three dimensions: extending poverty in their mother country, double torture as female immigrants, and limiting labor due to aging and diseases. Before moving to the U.S., they had a difficult livelihood by farming and one of them had to live in poverty due to the bereavement to her husband. But even after moving to the U.S., they have continued to live in poverty. As female immigrants with low education and no special skills, they were incorporated into the periphery of the labor market in the industrialized U.S. and were forced to make a living with low wages. Korean elderly women were unable to return to the labor market in the surrounding areas due to aging and diseases, and were continuing their impoverished lives relying on SSI. From the findings, we discussed the role of the Korean immigrants community as a way to improve the quality of life for Korean elderly women in the U.S.