“I Learned Myself”: Using Structuration Theory to Uncover Korean Immigrants’ Health Literacy Development in the U.S. as an Agentic Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The health literacy of immigrants has been often viewed in a deficit model. By using structuration theory as a theoretical lens, this study aimed to uncover the health literacy development of Korean immigrants in the U.S. as an agentic behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Korean immigrants in the U.S. Findings reveal how the participants’ experience was shaped by structural forces such as conflicting but co-existing public health systems between the U.S. and Korea, information overload, and the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. Participants also employed strategies such as constantly comparing the public health guidelines from the two countries, critically appraising the information, deliberately choosing which guideline to follow, combating misinformation, and regulating media consumption. These strategies enabled them to develop health literacy by leveraging their immigrant status as an advantage. Theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed.

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