A critical review of theoretical frameworks for health service use among older immigrants in the United States

Association Between Social Support and Depression Help-Seeking Behaviors Among U.S. Chinese Older Adults

Objectives: Depression has become one major mental health concern among Asian older adults. Yet, less is known about the role of social support on depression help-seeking among this population. This study examined the association between positive (i.e., open up to, rely on) and negative (i.e., too many demands, criticism) social support and depression help-seeking among U.S. Chinese older adults. Methods: Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Study sample consisted of 994 U.S. Chinese older adults with depressive symptoms. Results: Stepwise logistic regression results indicated that greater positive social support was associated with increased likelihood of both formal and informal help-seeking behaviors, whereas negative support was not a significant predictor. Discussion: Findings highlight the key role of positive social support in influencing U.S. Chinese older adults' depression help-seeking behaviors. Tailored strategies are recommended to better meet the mental health needs of this vulnerable population.

The Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Health Services Utilization in U.S. Chinese Older Adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Depressive symptomatology is a significant predictor of increased health services utilization and health care cost in the general older adult population. However, there is scant information on the relationship between depressive symptoms and health service utilization among U.S. Chinese older adults. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and physician visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalization.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Cross-sectional data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE) collected between July 2011 and June 2013 (N = 3,159). Depressive symptoms were measured by the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and physician visits, ED visits, and hospitalization.

RESULTS

U.S. Chinese older adults with depressive symptoms were more likely to have at least one ED visit (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.44-2.28) and hospitalization (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.47-2.33) in the past 2 years than those without depressive symptoms, while adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related covariates. Other significant factors associated with health services utilization in this population included number of people in household, health insurance coverage, and acculturation.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Depressive symptoms are positively associated with hospitalization and ED visits among U.S. Chinese older adults. Routine screenings of depressive symptoms should be part of the clinical encounter in these care settings so that appropriate treatment or timely mental health service referrals could be provided to this population to ultimately optimize their utilization of health services.

Complementary Medicine & Spirituality: Health-Seeking Behaviors of Indian Immigrants in the United States

Over 3 million India-born immigrants live in the United States, yet their health-seeking behaviors are little understood. Information on health and access to care was collected from 20 adult Indian immigrants living in the United States. Participants preferred complementary and alternative medicine home remedies to address their health needs, although they accessed health services more quickly for their children. They also reported barriers in using insurance and accessing healthcare.

Healthcare inequality issues among immigrant elders after neoliberal welfare reform: empirical findings from the United States

Even with the increasing importance being placed on research into immigrant elders' healthcare use as countries change their policies to reflect their increasing immigrant and aging populations, little research has examined changes in healthcare use disparities between immigrant and native elders in relation to these policy changes. To fill this gap in the literature, this study examined healthcare disparities in relation to the welfare reform that the US implemented in 1996 and then compared significant indicators of immigrants' healthcare use during the pre- and post-reform periods. The difference-in-difference (DD) analyses and post hoc probing of the DD analyses were used in multivariate logistic regression of the National Health Information Survey data that were pooled for the pre- and post-reform periods. The results revealed that while inequalities in healthcare existed before the reform, they significantly increased after the reform. A further test showed that the changes in the inequalities were significant among relatively long-stay immigrants, but not significant among immigrants who entered the US before the reform and thus were exempted from the reform restrictions. During the pre-reform period, insurance, employment, sex, and race/ethnicity were related to healthcare use; however, the enabling factors (i.e., insurance, income, and education) and social structural factors (i.e., marital status, family structure, length of US residency, race/ethnicity, and geographical region) explained the post-reform immigrants' healthcare use, while controlling for healthcare needs factors. These findings suggest that welfare reform may be the driving force of inequalities in healthcare.