Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban Communities
Despite the rapid increase in Korean immigrant women in the United States, research on healthcare utilization and health-seeking behavior among Korean immigrant women is limited. The present study was designed to understand the health-seeking behavior and healthcare utilization of premenopausal Ko...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2018-09-01
|
| Series: | Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal |
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1818254443610636288 |
|---|---|
| author | Jin Young Seo Wooksoo Kim Sharon Hewner Suzanne Dickerson |
| author_facet | Jin Young Seo Wooksoo Kim Sharon Hewner Suzanne Dickerson |
| author_sort | Jin Young Seo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite the rapid increase in Korean immigrant women in the United States, research on healthcare
utilization and health-seeking behavior among Korean immigrant women is limited. The present study was designed
to understand the health-seeking behavior and healthcare utilization of premenopausal Korean immigrant women
living in suburban communities in the United States. The study was designed and guided by interpretive hermeneutic
phenomenology. Twenty participants were recruited from suburban communities in Western New York. Individual,
semistructured interviews were conducted and analyzed using a team approach. Korean immigrants experienced
difficulties using the US healthcare system and significant differences between the US and Korean healthcare
systems. They actively sought health information through local ethnic networks, using the Internet, and they relied
on self-management that was based on Korean traditional medicine. They also utilized Korean healthcare services
whenever they visited Korea. They resided in-between spaces of two healthcare systems that included both geographic
and cultural space. They carefully calculated usefulness, cost-effectiveness, convenience, familiarity, and accessibility
to make choices between the two. This study emphasizes the importance of minimizing structural and cultural
barriers to healthcare access for new immigrants. Ethnic networks and media could be utilized as an informational
reservoir to promote various healthcare resources, disseminate information, and navigate new immigrants through
a complex healthcare system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:56:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30c7ef8ee12546d5abb209f5969ede23 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2373-6658 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:56:03Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-30c7ef8ee12546d5abb209f5969ede232022-12-22T00:18:13ZengJMIR PublicationsAsian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal2373-66582018-09-013182010.31372/20180301.1086Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban CommunitiesJin Young Seo0Wooksoo Kim1Sharon Hewner2Suzanne Dickerson3Hunter College, The City University of New YorkSUNY, Buffalo, New YorkSUNY, Buffalo, New YorkSUNY, Buffalo, New YorkDespite the rapid increase in Korean immigrant women in the United States, research on healthcare utilization and health-seeking behavior among Korean immigrant women is limited. The present study was designed to understand the health-seeking behavior and healthcare utilization of premenopausal Korean immigrant women living in suburban communities in the United States. The study was designed and guided by interpretive hermeneutic phenomenology. Twenty participants were recruited from suburban communities in Western New York. Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted and analyzed using a team approach. Korean immigrants experienced difficulties using the US healthcare system and significant differences between the US and Korean healthcare systems. They actively sought health information through local ethnic networks, using the Internet, and they relied on self-management that was based on Korean traditional medicine. They also utilized Korean healthcare services whenever they visited Korea. They resided in-between spaces of two healthcare systems that included both geographic and cultural space. They carefully calculated usefulness, cost-effectiveness, convenience, familiarity, and accessibility to make choices between the two. This study emphasizes the importance of minimizing structural and cultural barriers to healthcare access for new immigrants. Ethnic networks and media could be utilized as an informational reservoir to promote various healthcare resources, disseminate information, and navigate new immigrants through a complex healthcare system.Asian peopleAsian cultureshealthcare utilizationhermeneuticsimmigrantsmigrants |
| spellingShingle | Jin Young Seo Wooksoo Kim Sharon Hewner Suzanne Dickerson Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban Communities Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal Asian people Asian cultures healthcare utilization hermeneutics immigrants migrants |
| title | Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban Communities |
| title_full | Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban Communities |
| title_fullStr | Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban Communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban Communities |
| title_short | Lived Experience of Health Seeking and Healthcare Utilization Among Korean Immigrant Women Living in Suburban Communities |
| title_sort | lived experience of health seeking and healthcare utilization among korean immigrant women living in suburban communities |
| topic | Asian people Asian cultures healthcare utilization hermeneutics immigrants migrants |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jinyoungseo livedexperienceofhealthseekingandhealthcareutilizationamongkoreanimmigrantwomenlivinginsuburbancommunities AT wooksookim livedexperienceofhealthseekingandhealthcareutilizationamongkoreanimmigrantwomenlivinginsuburbancommunities AT sharonhewner livedexperienceofhealthseekingandhealthcareutilizationamongkoreanimmigrantwomenlivinginsuburbancommunities AT suzannedickerson livedexperienceofhealthseekingandhealthcareutilizationamongkoreanimmigrantwomenlivinginsuburbancommunities |