• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.232-241
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to do preliminary report of differences and similarities between Koreans residing in Korea and Korean Americans residing in America regarding their awareness of end-of-life care, attitudes toward advance care planning, truth telling, and preferred decision-making model. Methods: Two participating groups were selected: a) Koreans residing in Korea, and b) Koreans Americans who had resided in the United States for at least 20 years. 25 Koreans and 23 Korean Americans who were older than 65 years old participated in this study. They were asked via a self-administered questionnaire that contained demographic questions and questions about end-of-life decision making regarding awareness of end-of-life care, attitudes toward advance care planning, truth telling, and preferred decision-making model. A Chi-square was used to measure differences between Koreans' and Korean Americans planning. A P value of less than 0.5 was considered significant. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18.0. Results: In some aspects of awareness of end of life care, attitudes toward advance care planning, and truth telling, both groups had similar opinions. However, there were significant differences between groups in the necessity of end of life documentation, preferential informing the truth, and preferred decision making model. Conclusion: There were similarities and differences regarding some end of life issues between the Koreans and the Korean Americans.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.77-84
• /
• 1998

To evaluate food consumption patterns of first generation Korean-American in Hawaii, questionnaires were developed using sociodemographic questions and food frequency questionnaire, which included 139 food items most often consumed among Korean foods and American foods. The questionnaires surveyed 157 first generation Korean-Americans in Hawaii. Mean daily servings for the first generation Korean-Americans were calculated for 139 food items combined into 41 food groups based on similarity in nutrient composition and serving size. The food groups which were consumed in amounts over one serving per day for all subjects were rice, Kimchi , non-citrus fruit , vegetables, organge/green vegetables. oil. margarine and coffee/tea. All subjects consumed less than one serving of hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza and pancakes per week(0.14 serving per day). The most notable characteristic of food consumption for first generation Korean-Americans was that they consumed more Korean food such as rice, Kimchi, soybean paste(Deenjang), soybean curd and seaweed than American foods. Compared with other groups based on age and gender, younger men showed significantly(p<0.05) more frequent consumption of beef/pork, sausages /hams /bacons and hambergers. Older men were significantly(p<0.05) more likely to consume Doenjang and less likely to consume pizza and hamburgers. Daily servings were below the recommended level for thegrains /bread/cereals group and fats/oils/sweets group for all subjects . Fruits/vegetables group servings exceeded the recommeded 5 daily servings for younger men. In correlations of daily servings of selected foods among Korean foods and American food with sociodemographic characteristics, this study showed that the older the subjects and the shorter the stay in Hawaii, subjects were more likely to consume Kroean foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.9-20
• /
• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand the difference in the risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) between Korean and American CAD patients to determine the discriminant factor for each group, as well as to provide useful information to be reflected in the national concern of health. METHODS: Data were collected from 248 Korean and 107 American CAD patients who underwent either percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting. By using t-test and $X^2$-test, risk factors were compared between the Koreans and Americans. To elucidate which risk factor was the most discriminant for each group, logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: All risk factors, except diastolic blood pressure, showed a significant difference between the two groups. $X^2$-test showed statistical significance with respect to the smoking rate between the female groups. Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding blood total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride, and between the male groups, here was a statistically significant difference with respect to blood high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Diabetes mellitus (DM) was the most discriminant factor for Korean patients while TC/HDL is the most discriminant for the Americans. CONCLUSION: The characteristics of CAD risk factors were determined to be different between Koreans and Americans in this study. TC/HDL was a discriminant factor for Americans while DM was a discriminant factor for Koreans. This result implies that DM should primarily be given attention to prevent CAD in Korean adults.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.96-106
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the service quality attributes of Korean restaurants by North American and Chinese residents in Korea based on the Kano model. This survey was performed from September to December 2010. The subjects consisted of 135 North Americans and 165 Chinese in Seoul. The service quality attributes of Korean restaurants were composed of twenty three items in the categories of 'food quality', 'employee's service quality', 'sanitation quality', 'facility quality', and 'convenience quality'. For North Americans, there were five 'attractive quality' items, eleven 'one-dimensional quality' items and six 'indifferent quality' items, and one item had the same frequency on both 'attractive quality' and 'one-dimensional quality'. For the Chinese, there were twelve 'attractive quality' items, and ten 'one-dimensional quality' items, and one item had the same frequency on 'attractive quality' and 'one-dimensional quality'. According to the customer satisfaction coefficient developed by Timko, 'taste of the 'food (0.80)' for North Americans and 'freshness of the ingredients (0.94)' for Chinese were highest scores in the 'Better coefficient'. On the other hand, within the 'Worse coefficient', 'sanitation of the food' had the lowest score for both North Americans (-0.89) and Chinese (-0.90).

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.243-249
• /
• 2001

This study investigated how acculturation varies with demographic variables and is related to dietary habits among Korean Americans. The respondents were 162 Korea Americans aged at least 18 years old residing in the Greater New York metropolitan area. The level of acculturation was measured using a modified Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation(SL-ASIA) scale. Acculturation was operationally defined to be composed of 6 factors, which are language, media use, friendship, food, pride, and ethnic self-identity. Each factor in the level of acculturation was identified by how it is related to demographics and dietary habits in the method of correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regressions analyses. The reliability of the modified SL-ASIA scale was high as measured by Cronbach alpha of .92. The level of acculturation was related to place of birth, age, length of residence in the U.S., and education. The younger, the longer they had lived in the U.S., and the more they were educated, the more acculturated. Acculturation could be predictable for 52% of its variance with all demographic variables. Among the 6 factors in the level of acculturation, five of them, language, media use friendship, food, and ethnic self-identity were correlated with dietary habit changes after immigration and type of meals. All 6 acculturation factors could predict 21% of change in dietary habits. the information from this study can be used to describe usual describe usual dietary habits according to various aspects of acculturation to better understand the dynamics among acculturation, demographics, and dietary habits.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.60-70
• /
• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the actual state of utilization of Korean traditional foods by Korean Americans residing in L.A. area and to provide come policies, to improve their attitudes for Korean traditional foods. The proper period preparing traditional foods was the occasion of family events(47.0% )and Korean festivals(40.8%). Festival foods were prepared in Sulnal( =New Year's Day), Chusok( =the Korean Thanksgiving Day), Daeborum( =the 15th of January by the lunar calendar), Dongji( =the winter solstice) and Tano( =the 5th day of the 5th by lunar month), respectively. Sixty five percent of all the respondents expressed their wish to hand down the cooking methods of traditional foods. However, only28.6% of the respondents at their twenties replied positively on this matter. To maintain and develop traditional foods abroad, it is necessary that older generations sometimes offer opportunities to meet with them to the coming korean generations to taste traditional foods and that Korean food companies establish special selling agencies abroad and export standardized traditional foods. And furthermore, if tourism corporations and cooking schools hold a food exhibition and or a food-tasting party, occasionally, in conjunction with the embassies and legations abroad, the utilization of traditional foods will increase.

• The International Journal of Costume Culture
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.124-135
• /
• 2000

This research investigated the difference in fabric preference over formal wear attire of 1999 Spring/Summer season between Korean and American female consumers. 25 Korean and 25 U.S.A. fabrics were used as fabric samples, and the respondents for the survey included 50 Koreans and 50 Americans in the 20s and 40s age groups. All six population groups showed similar dislike rankings toward the total fabrics (n=50). When the Korean fabrics and the U.S.A. fabrics were considered separately, the 20s and 40s age groups, especially between Korean 20s and Korean 40s, showed significant similarities in the dislike rankings. When the dislike preferences between Korean fabrics and U.S.A. fabrics were examined for different population groups, all the groups showed somewhat similar dislike rankings and in all cases U.S.A. fabrics were disliked more than the Korean fabrics. The most apparent difference in the physical characteristics of disliked fabrics was observed in jabric color. The Americans, especially the 40s age group, disliked fabrics with dark compound colors, whereas the Koreans in all age groups dislike fabrics close to bright pure colors.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.129-138
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the instrument modification and validation processes to make existing health belief model scales culturally appropriate for Korean Americans (KAs) regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) screening utilization. Methods: Instrument translation, individual interviews using cognitive interviewing, and expert reviews were conducted during the instrument modification phase, and a pilot test and a cross-sectional survey were conducted during the instrument validation phase. Data analyses of the cross-sectional survey included internal consistency and construct validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The main issues identified during the instrument modification phase were (a) cultural and linguistic translation issues and (b) newly developed items reflecting Korean cultural barriers. Cross-sectional survey analyses during the instrument validation phase revealed that all scales demonstrate good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.72~.88). Exploratory factor analysis showed that susceptibility and severity loaded on the same factor, which may indicate a threat variable. Items with low factor loadings in the confirmatory factor analysis may relate to (a) lack of knowledge about fecal occult blood testing and (b) multiple dimensions of the subscales. Conclusion: Methodological, sequential processes of instrument modification and validation, including translation, individual interviews, expert reviews, pilot testing and a cross-sectional survey, were provided in this study. The findings indicate that existing instruments need to be examined for CRC screening research involving KAs.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.39-63
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study Is to Investigate unique features in the everyday information behavior of Korean Americans, in particular, the sub-group residing in the Mid-west area such as Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Major focus was on undercovering the impacts of ethnic identity and residential environment on their information behavior. The data for discussion were mainly collected by a full-scale survey and in-depth interviews. In Conclusion, suggested is the promotion of information welfare policies that are appropriate for the various and complicate information behaviors of ethnic minority groups(such as Korean Americans).

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.662-675
• /
• 2010

Purpose: This ethnography was done to explore the meaning of illness in Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: The participants were 6 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 6 general informants who could provide relevant data. Data were collected from iterative fieldwork with ethnographic interviews within Korean communities in two cities in the United States. Data were analyzed using causal chain analysis developed by Wolcott. Results: The analyses revealed three meanings for the illness: hidden disease, intentionally hidden disease, and inevitably hidden disease. The contexts of meaning of illness included characteristics of the illness, social stigma, structure of health care system and communication patterns and discourse between health care providers and clients. Conclusion: The meaning of illness was based on folk illness concepts and constructed in the sociocultural context. Folk etiology, pathology and interpretation of one's symptoms were factors influencing illness behavior. These findings could be a cornerstone for culture specific care for Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B.