The Influence of Culture on the Experiences of Korean, Korean American, and Caucasian-American Family Caregivers of Frail Older Adults: A Literature Review

Abstract

As the size of the frail older adult population increases, family caregiving is becoming a more important issue. Caring for frail older relatives has been regarded as both a challenging and rewarding experience. Recently, some published literature reviews have revealed that culture influences the experiences of family caregivers (Aranda & Knight, 1997;Connell & Gibson, 1997;Dilworth-Anderson, Williams, & Gibson, 2002;Janevic & Connell, 2001).Culture is located inside a human's head, not outside (De Munck, 2000). Cognitive anthropologists view that "culture consists of the mental ordering of personal experiences into templates or schemas that are used to in- Results. This review supported cultural influences on the selection of primary caregiver, caregiving motivation, and support/help-seeking among the three caregiver groups. In Korean caregivers, the major primary caregivers were daughters-in-law while among Korean American and Caucasian American caregivers, the major primary caregivers were daughters or spouses. As a major caregiving motivation, Caucasian American caregivers reported filial affection while Korean caregivers and Korean American caregivers reported filial obligation. Korean caregivers reported higher extended family support, while Caucasian American caregivers reported higher utilization of formal support. Korean caregivers showed the highest levels of depression followed by Korean American caregivers and Caucasian American caregivers. Conclusion.In order to develop culturally appropriate interventions and policies, more research is needed to further explain these differences among the three groups, especially regarding support/help-seeking and negative emotional responses.

Association of Filial Responsibility, Ethnicity, and Acculturation Among Japanese American Family Caregivers of Older Adults

“…Some caregiving experiences of later generations, such as helping with English translation, were similar to what scholars (Kong, 2007; Mokuau & Tomioka, 2010; Sun et al, 2012) previously found among 1st-generation caregivers. Second-generation caregivers with 1st-generation immigrant parents and 2.5-generation caregivers with Kibei parents experienced more caregiving difficulties, due to their parents’ limited English proficiency and inability to drive.…”

“…Early studies focused on Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White caregivers (Connell & Gibson, 1997; Dilworth-Anderson, Williams, & Gibson, 2002; Janevic & Connell, 2001). More recent studies address variations between and within Asian and Hispanic caregivers, including sub-ethnic groups (Aranda, Villa, Trejo, Ramírez, & Ranney, 2003; Kong, 2007; Mokuau & Tomioka, 2010; Sun, Ong, & Burnette, 2012). Caregiving challenges resulting from Asian and Hispanic immigration patterns and cultural differences between home and host countries are discussed (Crist & Speaks, 2011; Kong, Deatrick, & Evans, 2010; Zhan, 2004).…”

Factors associated with the quality of life of family caregivers for leukemia patients in China

“…In China, the traditional culture and Confucianism place a strong emphasis on the importance of family care [30–32]. It is a common practice in Chinese hospitals to require the family of a patient to arrange at least one person (either a family member or a paid care worker) to look after the patient.…”

Physical and mental health among caregivers: findings from a cross-sectional study of Open University students in Thailand

“…For example, differences were found in level of stress and coping mechanisms among Korean, Korean-American and Caucasian-American caregivers [45]. Caucasians reported affection while Koreans and Korean Americans reported filial obligation as their motivation for caregiving.…”