Wonsun Kim

The role of social support and social networks in health information–seeking behavior among Korean Americans: a qualitative study

IntroductionThis study used social network theory to explore the role of social support and social networks in health information–seeking behavior among Korean American (KA) adults.MethodsA descriptive qualitative study using a web-based online survey was conducted from January 2013 to April 2013 in the U.S. The survey included open-ended questions about health information–seeking experiences in personal social networks and their importance in KA adults. Themes emerging from a constant comparative analysis of the narrative comments by 129 of the 202 respondents were analyzed.ResultsThe sample consisted of 129 KA adults, 64.7% female, with a mean age of 33.2 (SD = 7.7). Friends, church members, and family members were the important network connections for KAs to obtain health information. KAs looked for a broad range of health information from social network members, from recommendations and reviews of hospitals/doctors to specific diseases or health conditions. These social networks were regarded as important for KAs because there were no language barriers, social network members had experiences similar to those of other KAs, they felt a sense of belonging with those in their networks, the network connections promoted increased understanding of different health care systems of the U.S. system, and communication with these network connections helped enhance feelings of being physically and mentally healthy.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the important role that social support and personal social networks perform in the dissemination of health information for a large ethnic population, KAs, who confront distinct cultural challenges when seeking health information in the U.S. Data from this study also illustrate the cultural factors that influence health information acquisition and access to social support for ethnic minorities. This study provides practical insights for professionals in health information services, namely, that social networks can be employed as a channel for disseminating health information to immigrants.

Structurational divergence theory as explanation for troublesome outcomes in nursing communication.

Structurational divergence (SD) theory captures negative communication cycles resulting from interpenetration of incompatible meaning structures. It is estimated that 12–15% of practicing nurses suffer from a problematic level of SD. With a sample of 713 nurses (57 departments) in a large hospital, this study tests a model positing SD as a root explanation of nursing job satisfaction and turnover. A number of variables long presumed to be explanations for job satisfaction and turnover were hypothesized as mediators between SD and those outcomes. Path analysis showed support for burnout, role conflict, bullying, and organizational identification as useful mediators, explaining 68% of the variance in job satisfaction, and 45% in intentions to leave. The study also explores relationships between SD and hospital quality indicators. SD is a concern because it powerfully explains a number of poor outcomes and provides an underlying explanation for a number of factors that predict job satisfaction and turnover.

Development and validation of the narrative quality assessment tool

Background and Purpose: The use of storytelling in health promotion has grown over the past 2 decades, showing promise for moving people to initiate healthy behavior change. Given the increasingly prevalent role of storytelling in health promotion research and the need to more clearly identify what storytelling elements and mediators may better predict behavior change, there is a need to develop measures to specifically assess these factors in a cultural community context. The purpose of this study is to develop and preliminarily validate a narrative quality assessment tool for measuring elements of storytelling that are predicted to affect attitude and behavior change (i.e., narrative characteristics, identification, and transportation) within a cultural community setting using a culture-centric model. Methods: Reliability and validity of these scales were assessed with repeated administrations among 74 Latino men and women with a mean age of 39.6 years (SD = 11.47 years). Results: The confirmatory factor analysis in addition to internal consistency tests revealed preliminary evidence for reliability and validity of the narrative characteristics, identification, and transportation scales. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from .92 to .94. Items revealed adequate factor loadings (.85–.98) and good model fit. Conclusion: The new scales provide the first step in moving the assessment of narrative quality into a culturally relevant context for evaluation of story use in health promotion. The results present valuable information for nurse researchers to guide the development and testing of culturally grounded storytelling interventions’ potential to predict attitude and behavior change for patients.

Unidimensional and bidimensional approaches to measuring acculturation

Background and Purpose: Researchers easily overlook the complexity of acculturation measurement in research. This study is to elaborate the shortcomings of unidimensional approaches to conceptualizing acculturation and highlight the importance of using bidimensional approaches in health research. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis on acculturation measures and eating habits obtained from 261 Korean American adults in a Midwestern city. Results: Bidimensional approaches better conceptualized acculturation and explained more of the variance in eating habits than did unidimensional approaches. Conclusion: Bidimensional acculturation measures combined with appropriate analytical methods, such as a cluster analysis, are recommended in health research because they provide a more comprehensive understanding of acculturation and its association with health behaviors than do other methods.

Interventions to Improve Quality of Life, Well-Being, and Care in Latino Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Literature Review.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors are at risk for increased psychosocial burden, in part, because of lower survival rates and lower quality of life (QOL) when compared with other populations. Despite this, very few interventional studies have been conducted in this population. This review synthesizes research on supportive care interventions to improve QOL, well-being, and cancer care in Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors.
. LITERATURE SEARCH Data sources included MEDLINE®, CINAHL®, and PsycINFO®. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline was employed.
. DATA EVALUATION This review includes studies conducted with cancer survivors from diagnosis to survivorship and addresses any type of intervention for Hispanic/Latino survivors of all cancer types and sites. Studies were written in English and had a sample of at least 25% Hispanics/Latinos. Key study attributes were extracted and tabled.
. SYNTHESIS Of the 15 studies reviewed, types of interventions included were psychosocial (n = 6), educational (n = 4), exercise/diet (n = 4), and navigational (n = 1). Most studies were pilot and feasibility studies, and nine were randomized, controlled trials (RCTs).
. CONCLUSIONS Interventional studies for Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors are at the very early stages of scientific development and are feasible and accepted by the Hispanic/Latino population. Culturally relevant psychosocial support and educational, exercise, and navigational interventions are beneficial for this population.
. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH To advance the science, as the Hispanic/Latino population rapidly increases, a great need exists for additional research in this area. A theoretical basis for interventions is needed for development of additional research. Efficacy of culturally relevant supportive care interventions needs to be tested through RCTs, replication, and multisite studies. A need exists for these developing interventions to be translated into practice to improve QOL and well-being for Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors.