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This study used a phenomenological approach for data collection and analysis based on interviews with 20 Korean immigrants, the first generation, aged 55 and older, on faith-based community support for these elders. Interviews began with a series of open-ended questions presented in an informal conversational style. Informants were asked to respond to questions on life challenges, support networks, and their coping styles. Major themes that emerged from the data, were 1) Religious Practice, 2) Faith-based Community as Social Capital, 3) Spiritual Needs, 4) Meaning of Suffering, and 5) Challenges and Conflicts. The data suggested that religious and spiritual practices such as prayer, worship and fellowship positively reinforce feelings of connectedness and healthy behaviors among elderly Korean immigrants. A best practice model for outreach, education, and prevention for mental health services that includes collaboration between social workers and clergy is suggested.
Key Words: Korean Americans, older adults, Christianity, social support
Little is known about faith-based community support among ethnic minority elderly populations. Meaning and purpose in life, religious involvement, religious coping, congregational support, and spiritual practices are widely recognized as predictors of well-being in later life (Bramadat & Biles, 2005; Koenig, McCullough, Larson, 2001). Among adults in the United States (U.S.), identifying with a faith system has been shown to buffer the stress associated with health disparities, and religiosity and spirituality have been found to be prominent factors in health status and subjective well-being among African Americans and other ethnic minorities (Taylor, Chatters, & Levin, 2004).
According to the Religious Landscape Survey (Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2010), immigration, along with factors like age, race, and geography, is contributing in a major way to changes in religious affiliation in the U.S. While scholars have suggested that religion and ethnicity are often intertwined and frequently mutually reinforcing, there has been little research on the intersection between religion and ethnicity (Ebaugh & Pipes, 2001; Goldschmidt & McAlister, 2004).
The U.S. Census Bureau (2012) has reported that Americans with Asian and Pacific Islander (API) heritage now account for 17.3 million of all non-institutionalized persons; 8.1% (1.4 million) of these individuals are 65 years and older (Administration on Aging, 2009). By 2050, the population of API elderly is projected to make up 6.3% of the elderly...