The effects of sociocultural factors on older Asian Americans' access to care
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Updated: May 26, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
1Silver School of Social Work, New York University, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY 10003, USA. duy.nguyen@nyu.edu
Abstract:
Most Asian American elders are immigrants to the United States, and sociocultural factors such as English proficiency and immigration status are prominent factors in their lives. Using data from the California Health Interview Surveys to focus on Asian Americans over age 50, this study seeks to identify interethnic differences, and the effects of English proficiency and immigration status in the way older Asian Americans access healthcare. The results indicated that Asian ethnicity, English proficiency, and immigration status have significant independent effects on older Asian Americans' access to care. Implications for social work's role in addressing access disparities are discussed.
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