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Chronic Diseases and Dietary Changes in Relation to Korean Americans’ Length of Residence in the United States

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2007.03.005Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

National health in the United States is influenced by the dietary norms brought into the country by an increasing number of immigrants.

Objectives

This cross-sectional study aimed to document dietary changes and disease prevalence in relation to the length of residence in the United States for Korean Americans in Michigan.

Design

Of 1,860 questionnaires mailed out, 637 (34.3%) were returned with respondent-reported information, including demographics, weight and height, chronic diseases, and dietary patterns.

Subjects/setting

Included in the final analyses were 497 first-generation Korean-American immigrants (263 men, 234 women, aged 30 to 87 years).

Statistical analyses performed

Analysis of covariance with the Tukey test and logistic regression models provided sex-specific analysis of dietary changes and disease patterns. All statistical analyses were adjusted for age.

Results

Chronic diseases reported most frequently by men and women, respectively, were hypertension, digestive diseases, arthritis, and diabetes. Length of residence in the United States (≤15 years, 16 to 25 years, or ≥26 years) was inversely associated with the prevalence of digestive diseases in men (P=0.017) and women (P=0.001), and positively with respiratory diseases in men and thyroid disease in women (P<0.05). Length of residence in the United States was inversely associated with intake of rice/rice dishes in both men (servings per week, P<0.001) and women (P=0.012). The prevalence of digestive diseases associated inversely with length of residence and positively with servings of rice/rice dishes consumed for Korean-American men. The age-adjusted odds ratio for digestive diseases was highest among men who had the shortest length of residence in the United States (≤15 years) and greater consumption of rice/rice dishes (>2 servings per day) (odds ratio 12.10; P=0.03).

Conclusions

Dietary changes of Korean-American immigrants in the United States over time were associated with changes in their chronic disease patterns. These findings may help food and nutrition professionals who work with minority immigrants because they identify factors that affect changes in dietary patterns and work toward preventing diet-related diseases. Prospective studies could address underlying mechanisms of the observed diet–disease relationship with subsequent generations of Korean Americans, as well as various ethnic minority immigrants in the United States.

Section snippets

Study Design and Subjects

A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to August 2000 of Korean Americans residing in Michigan using a mail survey. The number of Korean Americans in the United States in 2000 was 1,076,872, representing 0.4% of the total US population, and the number of Korean Americans residing in Michigan was 20,886 (8). Our sample of 637 represents approximately 3% of the Korean-American community in Michigan.

All individuals listed in the Michigan Korean Americans’ Telephone Directory (N=2,625),

Results

Table 1 summarizes subjects’ age, sex, length of residence in the United States, educational level, employment status, marital status, smoking status, and body mass index. Mean age, length of residence in the United States, and education level were 53.8 years, 22.3 years, and 15.8 years for men, respectively, and 49 years, 20.5 years, and 14.3 years for women, respectively. The subjects in our study had a higher education level than the average reported for Korean Americans by the National

Discussion

The traditional Korean diet is characterized by a basic menu of steamed rice, hot and spicy soups, and kimchi (spicy fermented vegetables), supplemented with side dishes of fish, meat, or vegetables. The Korean diet is typically low in fat, high in carbohydrates, and moderate in protein content (34). It is likely that Korean Americans shift from this dietary pattern to a more typical US diet after immigration to the United States. Earlier studies have shown that immigrant Asian Americans

Conclusions

Dietary changes among first-generation Korean Americans were associated with length of residence in the United States and frequency of chronic diseases. Biculturalism may have beneficial effects on health. However, the transition to a US diet as a result of immigration raises important questions regarding the long-term health effects of dietary change. Second-generation (ie, US-born) Korean Americans exposed to a US lifestyle earlier in life most likely have different dietary patterns and

E. J. Yang is an assistant professor, Department of Culinary Science, Honam University, Gwangju, Korea.

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    E. J. Yang is an assistant professor, Department of Culinary Science, Honam University, Gwangju, Korea.

    H. K. Chung is a professor, Division of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Hoseo University, Chungnam, Korea.

    W. Y. Kim is a professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.

    L. Bianchi is a statistical consultant, Flint Community Schools, Flint, MI.

    W. O. Song is a professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, Lansing.

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