The impact of acculturation on depressive symptoms: A comparison of older korean americans in two areas

Yuri Jang, Soonhee Roh, David A. Chiriboga

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17 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined how the impact of acculturation on depressive symptoms varied between two samples of older Korean Americans. One sample was from west central Florida (low Korean density area; n = 672), and the other from the New York City metropolitan area (high Korean density area; n = 420). The average level of acculturation was lower among older Korean Americans in New York, compared to those living in Florida. In the hierarchical regression models with the New York sample, acculturation was initially significant in predicting depressive symptoms; however, its impact was gradually attenuated and eventually became nonsignificant with the sequential entry of control variables. On the other hand, in the Florida sample, the impact of acculturation on depressive symptoms remained significant throughout the models. The results suggest that the level and importance of acculturation may differ by geographic locations and invite further contextual research in immigrant populations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)200-205
Number of pages6
JournalAsian American Journal of Psychology
Volume5
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 American Psychological Association.

Keywords

  • Acculturation
  • Depressive symptoms
  • Geographic location
  • Older Korean Americans

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