Do Older Korean Immigrants Engage in End-of-Life Communication?

Abstract

End-of-life communication is an important process as it allows individuals' treatment preferences to be known, yet not every culture is receptive to such discussions. Planning for end-of-life care is not readily supported in Asian culture, and little is known about individuals' communication with family and health care professionals among older Korean immigrants related to end-of-life care. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 195 older Korean immigrants on end-of-life communication. Measures include end-of-life communication, attitudes toward end-of-life communication, perceived burden, number of adult children in the United States, health status, and sociodemographic variables. Overall, 21.9% (n = 42) of participants reported to have discussed their end-of-life treatment preferences with others, primarily family members. Attitudes toward end-of-life discussions, perceived burden, religiosity, and the number of children in the U.S. significantly accounted for end-of-life communication. Culturally appropriate interventions are recommended to promote dialogue regarding treatment preferences among older adults, family, and health care professionals.

Notes

Note. *p < .05; **p < .01.

Model: −2 LL = 168.94; χ² (11) = 26.78; p < .05; Nagelkerke R ² = .21.