Relationship between Acculturative Stress and Pain Catastrophizing in Korean Americans

Hyochol Ahn, Natalie Jackson, Kyungeh An, Roger B. Fillingim, Hongyu Miao, Moonju Lee, Jisook Ko, Kelli Galle, Mikyoung A. Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Acculturative stress is speculated to be a sociocultural factor contributing to pain since cultural beliefs and practices can influence the way patients perceive and respond to pain. However, the relationship between acculturative stress and pain catastrophizing remains poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the relationship between acculturative stress and pain catastrophizing in Korean Americans. We collected survey data from Korean American in Texas (N = 374). Acculturative stress was measured with the Acculturative Stress Scale, and pain catastrophizing was measured with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Participants’ mean age was 46.89 years, and 63% were women. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses indicated that higher acculturative stress may contribute to higher pain catastrophizing (regression coefficient = 1.02, P = 0.04). These findings advance our understanding of sociocultural factors associated with pain in Korean Americans; additional research with a larger sample is warranted for cross-validation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)741-746
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume23
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2021

Keywords

  • Acculturation
  • Catastrophizing
  • Korean American
  • Pain
  • Stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Epidemiology

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