Profiles of Activity Participation in Older Korean Americans in Five States

Background and Purpose

While evidence suggests that social participation plays a critical role in maintaining health and well-being among older adults, little is known about profiles of activity participation and how these profiles link with various individual and environmental factors. The purposes of this study were to: (1) develop profiles of activity participation in older Korean Americans; and (2) examine the relations of activity profiles to sociodemographic characteristics, immigration-related variables, and health/well-being. We hypothesized that there would be distinct groups of activity participation and that different groups would vary in their relations with various factors.

Methods

Data came from a survey with older Korean Americans aged 60 or over in five states (CA, NY, TX, HI, and FL) during 2017−2018 (N = 2,159). To identify hidden groups of activity participation, latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted using eight variables on participation in various activities: religious meetings, senior center/elder association, hobby/interest groups, sports/leisure clubs, volunteering, learning activities, exercise, and community events. The identified types were then examined with socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, education, financial status, and region), immigration-related variables (length of stay in the U.S. and English proficiency), and health/well-being (self-rated health/mental health and loneliness).

Results

Based on several model selection criteria and conceptual meaning, a model with six activity participation groups was identified as best-fit (BIC=27051.08, Entropy=.87, LMR-LRT= p < .001, BLRT= p < .001). The groups were labeled as “diverse” (14%, engagement in diverse activities), “active” (11%, high engagement in physical/social activities), “friendship” (13%, focus on informal activities), “senior center” (18%, primary participation in senior center or elder associations), “sedentary” (14%, participation in activities requiring limited physical functioning), and “restricted” (31%, minimal participation or disengagement in activities). Bivariate statistics suggested that overall, the groups that are more active (diverse, active, and friendship) were more likely to be younger, men, married, educated, and financially secure and to have a longer stay in the U.S., English proficiency, more favorable ratings of health/mental health, and lower levels of loneliness than their less active counterparts (senior center, sedentary, and restricted). Regarding regional variations, the “restricted” group was more likely to be represented by low to medium Korean density areas (FL, HI, TX) while “diverse” and “active” groups were more likely to be comprised of those from high Korean density areas (CA, NY).

Conclusions and Implications

As expected, distinct groups of activity participation emerged in this five state study of older Korean Americans. Notably, types of activity participation were related with not only personal-level characteristics but also geographic location. It was concerning that inactive groups were likely to be composed of vulnerable groups such as those with advanced age, female gender, no spouse, low education, insecure financial status, shorter stay in the U.S., limited English proficiency, poor health/mental health, and greater feelings of loneness. Given that availability of social resources in different ethnic communities seemed to influence what types of activities these older immigrants could participate, it would be helpful to provide community-based interventions to target vulnerable older adults within ethnic communities.