HEALTH PRACTICES OF KOREAN ELDERLY PEOPLE - NATIONAL-HEALTH PROMOTIONPRIORITIES AND MINORITY COMMUNITY NEEDS

The official health promotion goals for the year 2000 in the United St ates include an emphasis on behavioral and contextual changes to incre ase the healthy lifespan of Americans. The goals also encompass reduci ng disparities in health status among different groups, and many of th e specific goals address issues pertinent to older people. Limited dat a on the health status and health behaviors of older Asians and Pacifi c Islanders contributed to the absence of any goals for this group of elderly people. This article uses 1993 to 1994 data on 213 Korean and 201 non-Hispanic white people age 65 and over who lived in Los Angeles County to compare, by ethnicity and gender, health behaviors that may influence the health of older people. The older Koreans practiced a s omewhat higher number of healthy behaviors overall, but smoking cessat ion for older Korean men and increased exercise for older Korean women were specific areas needing attention. Limited English-speaking abili ty and educational levels of the older Koreans make it imperative that health promotion activities for older Koreans use community-based org anizations that can reach the older Koreans in an effective manner.