Health Vulnerability of Immigrants with Limited English Proficiency: A Study of Older Korean Americans.
To examine the extent to which limited English proficiency (LEP) poses a risk to physical and mental health, using older Korean Americans as a target population.



Cross-sectional survey.



Older Korean Americans (N = 1,301).



Health outcomes were indexed using binary variables covering activity limitation, self-rated health, and probable depression. Participants who reported that they spoke English less than very well were categorized as manifesting LEP.



Approximately 71% of the sample had LEP. Those with LEP scored lower on all measures of health than their English-proficient counterparts. In multivariate models, the risk of having activity limitations was 2.72 times as great (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.72-4.29, P < .001), a fair or poor rating of health 2.59 times as great (95% CI = 1.91-3.49, P < .001), and probable depression 1.73 times as great (95% CI = 1.29-2.31, P < .001) in participants with LEP.



Limited English proficiency was identified as a critical source of health vulnerability. Systematic efforts should be made to reach out to older immigrants with LEP and include them in health-related research and prevention and intervention programs.
School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Yuri
Y
Jang
School of Social Work, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.
Hyunwoo
H
Yoon
School of Social Work, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.
Nan Sook
NS
Park
Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.
David A
DA
Chiriboga
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
health; limited English proficiency; older ethnic immigrants