Source of Health Information and Unmet Healthcare Needs in Asian Americans

Background: Responding to the disparities in accessing and obtaining health information and healthcare among immigrant populations, the present study focused on Asian Americans. Using a sample that reflects Asian Americans’ cultural and linguistic diversities, the goal was to explore the typologies of health information source and their predictability to unmet healthcare needs (i.e., the experience of not being able to get needed medical care). Methods: Data were drawn from the 2015 Asian American Quality of Life Survey (N = 2,592), conducted using culturally and linguistically sensitive approaches. Latent class analysis on nine sources of health information across interpersonal networks (family members, close friends, acquaintances, and health professionals) and Internet-based communication technologies (mobile apps, email listservs, social networking sites, online communities, and health websites) identified six classes: ‘resource-heavy,’ ‘human-oriented,’ ‘expertise-focused,’ ‘family-dominant,’ ‘resource-scarce,’ and ‘health professional-dominant.’ Results: Compared to the resource-heavy group, the odds of having an unmet healthcare need were 2.94 times greater in the family-dominant group and 4.13 times greater in the resource-scarce group. Discussion: Findings provide implications for interventions with respect to subgroups to be prioritized and areas to be targeted in efforts to promote access and acquisition of health information and health services in Asian Americans.