Riti Shimkhada, PhD; Hin Wing Tse, BA; Ninez Ponce
Corresponding Author: Riti Shimkhada, PhD; UCLA Center For Health Policy Research. Email: riti@ucla.edu
Section: Research Letter
Publication Date: 1/13/2022
Background: Little data exists on the well-being of older adults from Asian American (AA) communities. Two well-being metrics – receiving needed social and emotional support and current life satisfaction – may help gauge levels of mental health among AA older adults. Methods: Using data from the 2018 California Health Interview Survey, we examined two well-being metrics - receiving needed social and emotional support and current life satisfaction – among AAs and AA subgroups (Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese) 65 years and older. Results: AA older adults reported lower life satisfaction and not having needed social and emotional support compared to all other race/ethnicities. Current life satisfaction among AA older adults was 54% (95% CI: 47-61%) compared to 80% (95% CI: 78- 82%) for all other race/ethnicities. And, 56% (95% CI: 47-65%) of AA older adults reported usually or always receiving social/emotional compared to 80% (95% CI: 77- 82%) for all other race/ethnicities. Within the AA category, life satisfaction was 40% (95% CI: 22-57%) for Korean, 48% (95% CI: 35%-61%) for Chinese, 47% (95% CI: 30- 65%) for Vietnamese, and 77% (95% CI: 54-96%) for Filipino older adults. Among Korean older adults 30% (95% CI: 15-45%) reported receiving needed social/emotional support, 57% (95% CI: 44-69%) among Chinese, 59% (95% CI: 39–78%) among Filipino, and 65% (95% CI: 49-81%) among Vietnamese older adults. Conclusion: AAs older adults report lower life satisfaction and not receiving social and emotional support compared to all other race/ethnicities and among AAs, Korean older adults were most likely to report poorer well-being using these metrics. AA older adult communities may be in urgent need of further research and investment in interventions, including those that involve primary care providers and those that seek to understand the systemic and structural barriers that lead to low levels of social/emotional support and life satisfaction.