Health care and social service use among Chinese immigrant elders.
We explored patterns and reasons for health and social service use among Chinese immigrant elders. Interviews were conducted with 27 Chinese immigrant elders, 11 adult care giving children, and 12 health and social service providers. Content analysis of these data indicated that participants across groups agreed that Chinese elders under-utilize services because of problems related to language, transportation, cost, long waits for appointments, and because of cultural norms/values related to need for care, preference for self-over professional care, fear, and distrust of western biomedicine, and the obligation to refrain from using formal services. These problems are complicated by geographical dispersion and dialect differences in the local Chinese immigrant community.
Aroian
Karen J
KJ
Katharine E. Faville Professor of Nursing Research, Wayne State University College of Nursing, 5557 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Wu
Bei
B
Tran
Thanh V
TV
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D001900:Boston; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012945:Social Values; D012947:Social Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*