title: Correlates of Health-Related Quality of Life Among Korean Immigrant Elders.
abstract: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a key clinical outcome, particularly for individuals with chronic conditions such as hypertension (HTN). While no previous research has examined contributors to HRQOL among Asian Americans in the United States, this study was conducted to identify correlates of HRQOL in hypertensive Korean immigrant elders (≥ 60 years of age) to address the gap. A total of 440 Korean elders with HTN participated in the study. The hierarchical regression model for HRQOL explained 32.8% of the variance. Female gender (β = .109, p = .036), a greater number of comorbid conditions (β = .183, p = .000), lower social support (β = -.240, p = .000), and greater depressive symptoms (β = .402, p = .000) were associated with poorer HRQOL. Depression was the most potent correlate of HRQOL among elderly Korean Americans (KA) with HTN. Future intervention should consider managing depression as an essential component of comprehensive HTN care for this minority population.
authors.affiliation: The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Professor, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Miyong T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA hhan3@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Hae-Ra
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D057566:Self Report; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Korean Americans (KA); depression; elderly; health-related quality of life (HRQOL); hypertension (HTN)