Cross-Cultural Comparison of Health Perceptions,Concerns,and Coping Strategies among Asian and Pacific Islander American Elders

Abstract

This article compares the health perceptions, concerns, and coping strategies among elders in two Asian and Pacific Islander American communities. The qualitative comparison is conducted between elder Chamorros of Guam and elder Chinese of the United States, using a focused ethnography for data collection and the grounded theory method for cross-cultural analysis. The health perceptions of these two communities are manifest in two themes: (a) a sense of holism among body, mind, and spirit and (b) an orientation toward others. The health concerns of these two communities include universal experiences of aging, structural elements within the American health care system, and cultural changes impacting health. A significant coping strategy is adaptation to changes while maintaining continuity. Finally, implications for the delivery of culturally appropriate health care services to Asian and Pacific Islander American elders are discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Clark, M. , & Anderson, B. (1967). Culture and aging: An anthropological study of older Americans. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

DeSantis, L. (1989). Health care orientations of Cuban and Haitian immigrant mothers: Implications for health care professionals. In J. Morse (Ed.), Cross-cultural nursing: Anthropological approaches to nursing research (pp. 69-89). New York: Gordon and Breach Science.

Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures: Selected essays. New York: Basic Books.

Geller, G. (1999). A participatory action research project on the needs of women survivors of sexual abuse. In L. Heber & T. George (Eds.), International perspectives on women, health, and culture: A world-wide anthology (pp. 59-67). London: Quay Books.

Glaser, B. G. , & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago: Aldine.

Heckler, M. M. (1985). Report of the secretary’s task force on Black & minority health: Vol. II. Crosscutting issues in minority health. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services.

Kleinman, A. (1975). Medicine in Chinese cultures: Comparative studies of health care in Chinese and other societies. Washington, DC: Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Lester, N. (1998). Cultural competence: A nursing dialogue. American Journal of Nursing, 98(8), 26-33.

Ma, G. X. (1996). Cultural and socioeconomic dimensions of health care services in the Houston Chinese community. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Oklahoma.

10.

McMakin, P. (1978). The suruhanos: Traditional curers on the island of Guam. Micronesica: Journal of the University of Guam, 14(1), 13-68.

11.

Millard, A. (1992). The anthropological analysis of health. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 6(1), 3-5.

12.

Pinhey, T. , Heathcote, G. , & Rarick, J. (1994). The influence of obesity on the self-reported health status of Chamorros and other residents of Guam. Asian-American and Pacific Islander Journal of Health, 2(3), 195-210.

13.

Rankin-Hill, L. (1988). Hispanic emigrants, adaptation and health: Health research and policy issues. Unpublished manuscript, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

14.

Rubinstein, R. (Ed.). (1990). Anthropology and aging: Comprehensive reviews. Boston: Kluwer Academic.

15.

Sokolovsky, J. , & Cohen, C. (1987). Networks, community creation, and institutionalization: Environments for aging. In J. Sokolovsky (Ed.), Growing old in different societies: Cross-cultural perspectives (pp. 189-201). Acton, MA: Copley Publishing Group.

16.

Steele, J. , & Guzman, T. (1987). Observations about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam with regard to epidemiology and etiology. The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 14(3), 358-362.

17.

Strauss, A. , & Corbin, J. (1994). Grounded theory methodology: An overview. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 273-285). London: Sage Ltd.

18.

Strauss, A. , & Corbin, J. (Eds.). (1997). Grounded theory in practice. London: Sage Ltd.

19.

Torsch, V. (1996). The elderly experience among the Chamorros of Guam. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Oklahoma.

20.

Wu, D. , & Tseng, W. -S. (1985). Chinese culture and mental health. Orlando, FL: Academic Press.