This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic d... more This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic department, especially during a time of budget crisis. Furthermore it examines the role and purpose of the university, the place of so-called applied programs within the university, curriculum development of a new program, racial and cultural diversity at the university, and the overall relevance of the university as a vehicle for addressing community needs. The paper concludes with a discussion on how a Social Work faculty was able to use the university's mission to persuade its leadership into setting up a Social Work Department.
This study examines race/ethnic and age differences in psychological distress among foreign born ... more This study examines race/ethnic and age differences in psychological distress among foreign born Americans. We used the 2009 California Health Survey Interview (CHIS) that consisted of 5,573 foreign born older individuals aged 18 to 85 including 2,623 White, 792 Chinese, 829 Korean, and 1,329 Vietnamese respondents. Regression analysis was used via Stata 12.1. The results revealed that foreign born Americans aged 64 and under consistently reported a higher level of psychological distress than older respondents aged 65 and over across the four selected racial/ethnic groups. Marital status, education, income, and employment status had significant relationship with psychological distress.The findings suggest that both race/ethnicity and age should be taken into consideration in the understanding of psychological distress among immigrants.
Serious psychological distress and falls are two major public health problems among the elderly. ... more Serious psychological distress and falls are two major public health problems among the elderly. This study aims to test the hypothesis that although serious psychological distress can increase the risks of falls among the elderly, it tends to affect elderly women more than elderly men. Data of this study are from the 2011 California Health Survey Interviews (CHIS). We extracted a sample of 13,153 respondents aged 65 and older for this study, including 8,087 females and 5,066 males. We tested both unadjusted and adjusted interaction effects using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Elderly women with serious psychological distress had the greatest likelihood of falls as compared to men with serious psychological distress and men and women without serious psychological distress. With respect to the covariates, limitations of physical activity and poor self-rated health status, Asian race, and older age were more likely to be associated with falls. This study prov...
Health studies on older Asian Americans based on national and statewide representative data are s... more Health studies on older Asian Americans based on national and statewide representative data are scarce. This study examined subgroup differences in demographic, socioeconomic and general health status, health conditions, and access to health care services among five groups of Asian Americans aged 60 or older (Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese), using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. Significant differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status, chronic conditions, and coverage and use of health care services were found in the five groups, indicating the complexity, diversity, and heterogeneity of older Asian American populations. Practice and research implications are discussed.
International Journal of Social Science Studies, 2013
Objectives: This study aims to examine racial/ethnic differences in vegetable consumption between... more Objectives: This study aims to examine racial/ethnic differences in vegetable consumption between White and three major groups of Asian Americans. We hypothesize that racial/ethnic differences in frequency of vegetable consumption is significantly related to respondents' household income. Methods: We used the 2009 California Health Survey Interview (CHIS) data set that has a total sample of 47,167 respondents aged 18 and over. The selected sample used in this study consisted of four racial and ethnic groups included Whites (31,582), Chinese (1,014), Korean (909), and Vietnamese (1,411). We used Ordinary Least Square regression and adjusted for complex survey sampling designs in all analyses. Interaction effect is visually presented. Results: Chinese and White respondents reported a greater frequency of weekly vegetable consumption than Korean and Vietnamese respondents. The significant interaction effect of race/ethnicity and household income revealed that White respondents with an annual household income from $150,000 and over consumed vegetables more frequently than White respondents with an annual household income under $150,000. However, among three selected Asian groups, respondents with an annual household income from $150,000 and over consumed vegetables less frequently than those with an annual household income under $150,000. Other demographic variables including sex, age, marital status, education, BMI also had significant associations with frequency of vegetable consumption. Conclusion: Culture and economic wealth might play an important role in vegetable consumption. Knowledge regarding racial/ethnic differences in vegetable consumption are important for community-based health education and intervention programs for Asian Americans.
International Journal of Social Science Studies, 2014
This study examined the predictability of traditional Body Mass Index standards and the Joslin Di... more This study examined the predictability of traditional Body Mass Index standards and the Joslin Diabetes Center's recommended BMI standards for Asian Americans. A sample of 2973 adult Asian Americans aged 45 and older from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) was used. This sample consists of 12.25% of respondents with type 2 diabetes and 87.75% that had neither type 2 or any types of diabetes. Logistic regression was used to estimate the predictability of two the BMI standards and to test for the interaction effect of BMI standards and sex in predicting type 2 diabetes. The results revealed that both traditional and Joslin Diabetes Center's recommended standards had similar predictability of types 2 diabetes. Both BMI standards of overweight and obesity had a greater association with type 2 diabetes for men than for women. That is, given a similar level of BMI, men tend to report a greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes than women. These findings support caution in changing BMI cutoffs for Asian Americans, and highlight the potential limitations of using BMI as a measure of risk for diabetes in this population.
Teaching about race, racism, and oppression presents higher education programs with complex chall... more Teaching about race, racism, and oppression presents higher education programs with complex challenges. This article reports on the experiences of a new MSW program in desigrung a gateway "race, gender, and inequality" course. Embracing a theoretical base of culturally competent practice and solutions to the irüierent difficulties of discussing race and oppression in diverse student groups is suggested along with six rules of engagement. Recommendations are based on the interactive experience of a highly diverse faculty and student body, literature review, student focus groups, faculty retreats, expert consultation, and curriculum refinement. DESPITE DIRECTIONS BY the Council on Sodal Work Education (CSWE; 2004) to include content on racism and oppression in social work curricula, translating this into meaningful leaming is complicated. The competing worldviews between students of color and of European-American heritage create divergent realities that confront instructors with pedagogical challenges. This teaching note is a case study of a newly established MSW program committed to infusing content on racism into its curriculum. The outlined strategy is based on teaching experiences, student and field instructor focus groups, and professional cor\sultation. Beyond the Expediency of Ahstraction: Creating a Curriculum Confronting racism and oppression of diverse disenfranchised groups represented defining hallmarks of the new MSW program. The profession has grappled with teaching about race for years (Davis, Freeman, Carter, & Cartwright, 1983). Hence, in preparing the curriculum, faculty acknowledged the need to infuse
This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical ... more This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical function and who provide childcare for their families are more likely to experience a greater sense of psychological distress than those with poor physical function who have no childcare responsibilities. We used a sample of 2160 elderly (age 65 or over) Latinos (including Puerto
This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults... more This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults aged 25–64 using the 1980, 1990, and 2000 census data. The data were stratified into two subsamples based on age (25–49 and 50–64). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify which of the 10 selected variables had statistically significant association with homeownership in each age group across the
This narrative describes the author's experiences as a Southeast Asian social worker and educ... more This narrative describes the author's experiences as a Southeast Asian social worker and educator. It examines social work as a career option and explores the reasons why social work can he limiting for Southeast Asians. The author recounts the ways he uses his personal and professional backgrounds to challenge students to get past their ongoing fears about September 11"' and to take on professional roles. Finally, the author reflects on student evaluations and how they influence his thinking about Southeast Asians and social work.
This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic d... more This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic department, especially during a time of budget crisis. Furthermore it examines the role and purpose of the university, the place of so-called applied programs within the university, curriculum development of a new program, racial and cultural diversity at the university, and the overall relevance of the university as a vehicle for addressing community needs. The paper concludes with a discussion on how a Social Work faculty was able to use the university's mission to persuade its leadership into setting up a Social Work Department. Keywords: MSW program development; mission; values & ethics, fiscal crisis Introduction The development of a new academic program in higher education is both an exciting and a challenging experience. When such a program is introduced in a time of budgetary crisis and political unrest in the academy, the excitement and challenge escalates. While this is espe...
This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults... more This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults aged 25–64 using the 1980, 1990, and 2000 census data. The data were stratified into two subsamples based on age (25–49 and 50–64). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify which of the 10 selected variables had statistically significant association with homeownership in each age group across the three censuses. The results revealed that among single Vietnamese Americans adults there was a healthy trend of changes in homeownership throughout these three decades of resettlement. Two factors that had somewhat consistent measures of association with homeownership were personal income and number of siblings. Despite the limited variation in sample sizes for the older single adults aged 50–64, this study provided some valuable preliminary insights into the homeownership of one of the newly established immigrant communities in the United States. The results highlight the role of economic achievement and family support in impacting the successful assimilation of newly-arrived immigrants or refugees.
This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical ... more This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical function and who provide childcare for their families are more likely to experience a greater sense of psychological distress than those with poor physical function who have no childcare responsibilities. We used a sample of 2160 elderly (age 65 or over) Latinos (including Puerto Ricans and those of Mexican, Cuban, or other Latin American origin or descent) from the National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People to test this hypothesis. Regression analysis was used, and the findings confirm that after controlling for age, gender, marital status, and education, the joint effect of physical function and childcare on psychological distress remains statistically significant. We further performed a sub-group analysis, also using regression analysis, to clarify the effect of poor physicalfunction on psychological distress in the sample of those who did provide and those who did not provide childcare. The findings clearly indicate that poor physical functioning has a greater effect on psychological distress in the group who provided childcare than in the group that did not. Implications for intergenerational practice and further research are discussed.
This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic d... more This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic department, especially during a time of budget crisis. Furthermore it examines the role and purpose of the university, the place of so-called applied programs within the university, curriculum development of a new program, racial and cultural diversity at the university, and the overall relevance of the university as a vehicle for addressing community needs. The paper concludes with a discussion on how a Social Work faculty was able to use the university's mission to persuade its leadership into setting up a Social Work Department.
This study examines race/ethnic and age differences in psychological distress among foreign born ... more This study examines race/ethnic and age differences in psychological distress among foreign born Americans. We used the 2009 California Health Survey Interview (CHIS) that consisted of 5,573 foreign born older individuals aged 18 to 85 including 2,623 White, 792 Chinese, 829 Korean, and 1,329 Vietnamese respondents. Regression analysis was used via Stata 12.1. The results revealed that foreign born Americans aged 64 and under consistently reported a higher level of psychological distress than older respondents aged 65 and over across the four selected racial/ethnic groups. Marital status, education, income, and employment status had significant relationship with psychological distress.The findings suggest that both race/ethnicity and age should be taken into consideration in the understanding of psychological distress among immigrants.
Serious psychological distress and falls are two major public health problems among the elderly. ... more Serious psychological distress and falls are two major public health problems among the elderly. This study aims to test the hypothesis that although serious psychological distress can increase the risks of falls among the elderly, it tends to affect elderly women more than elderly men. Data of this study are from the 2011 California Health Survey Interviews (CHIS). We extracted a sample of 13,153 respondents aged 65 and older for this study, including 8,087 females and 5,066 males. We tested both unadjusted and adjusted interaction effects using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Elderly women with serious psychological distress had the greatest likelihood of falls as compared to men with serious psychological distress and men and women without serious psychological distress. With respect to the covariates, limitations of physical activity and poor self-rated health status, Asian race, and older age were more likely to be associated with falls. This study prov...
Health studies on older Asian Americans based on national and statewide representative data are s... more Health studies on older Asian Americans based on national and statewide representative data are scarce. This study examined subgroup differences in demographic, socioeconomic and general health status, health conditions, and access to health care services among five groups of Asian Americans aged 60 or older (Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese), using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. Significant differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status, chronic conditions, and coverage and use of health care services were found in the five groups, indicating the complexity, diversity, and heterogeneity of older Asian American populations. Practice and research implications are discussed.
International Journal of Social Science Studies, 2013
Objectives: This study aims to examine racial/ethnic differences in vegetable consumption between... more Objectives: This study aims to examine racial/ethnic differences in vegetable consumption between White and three major groups of Asian Americans. We hypothesize that racial/ethnic differences in frequency of vegetable consumption is significantly related to respondents' household income. Methods: We used the 2009 California Health Survey Interview (CHIS) data set that has a total sample of 47,167 respondents aged 18 and over. The selected sample used in this study consisted of four racial and ethnic groups included Whites (31,582), Chinese (1,014), Korean (909), and Vietnamese (1,411). We used Ordinary Least Square regression and adjusted for complex survey sampling designs in all analyses. Interaction effect is visually presented. Results: Chinese and White respondents reported a greater frequency of weekly vegetable consumption than Korean and Vietnamese respondents. The significant interaction effect of race/ethnicity and household income revealed that White respondents with an annual household income from $150,000 and over consumed vegetables more frequently than White respondents with an annual household income under $150,000. However, among three selected Asian groups, respondents with an annual household income from $150,000 and over consumed vegetables less frequently than those with an annual household income under $150,000. Other demographic variables including sex, age, marital status, education, BMI also had significant associations with frequency of vegetable consumption. Conclusion: Culture and economic wealth might play an important role in vegetable consumption. Knowledge regarding racial/ethnic differences in vegetable consumption are important for community-based health education and intervention programs for Asian Americans.
International Journal of Social Science Studies, 2014
This study examined the predictability of traditional Body Mass Index standards and the Joslin Di... more This study examined the predictability of traditional Body Mass Index standards and the Joslin Diabetes Center's recommended BMI standards for Asian Americans. A sample of 2973 adult Asian Americans aged 45 and older from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) was used. This sample consists of 12.25% of respondents with type 2 diabetes and 87.75% that had neither type 2 or any types of diabetes. Logistic regression was used to estimate the predictability of two the BMI standards and to test for the interaction effect of BMI standards and sex in predicting type 2 diabetes. The results revealed that both traditional and Joslin Diabetes Center's recommended standards had similar predictability of types 2 diabetes. Both BMI standards of overweight and obesity had a greater association with type 2 diabetes for men than for women. That is, given a similar level of BMI, men tend to report a greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes than women. These findings support caution in changing BMI cutoffs for Asian Americans, and highlight the potential limitations of using BMI as a measure of risk for diabetes in this population.
Teaching about race, racism, and oppression presents higher education programs with complex chall... more Teaching about race, racism, and oppression presents higher education programs with complex challenges. This article reports on the experiences of a new MSW program in desigrung a gateway "race, gender, and inequality" course. Embracing a theoretical base of culturally competent practice and solutions to the irüierent difficulties of discussing race and oppression in diverse student groups is suggested along with six rules of engagement. Recommendations are based on the interactive experience of a highly diverse faculty and student body, literature review, student focus groups, faculty retreats, expert consultation, and curriculum refinement. DESPITE DIRECTIONS BY the Council on Sodal Work Education (CSWE; 2004) to include content on racism and oppression in social work curricula, translating this into meaningful leaming is complicated. The competing worldviews between students of color and of European-American heritage create divergent realities that confront instructors with pedagogical challenges. This teaching note is a case study of a newly established MSW program committed to infusing content on racism into its curriculum. The outlined strategy is based on teaching experiences, student and field instructor focus groups, and professional cor\sultation. Beyond the Expediency of Ahstraction: Creating a Curriculum Confronting racism and oppression of diverse disenfranchised groups represented defining hallmarks of the new MSW program. The profession has grappled with teaching about race for years (Davis, Freeman, Carter, & Cartwright, 1983). Hence, in preparing the curriculum, faculty acknowledged the need to infuse
This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical ... more This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical function and who provide childcare for their families are more likely to experience a greater sense of psychological distress than those with poor physical function who have no childcare responsibilities. We used a sample of 2160 elderly (age 65 or over) Latinos (including Puerto
This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults... more This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults aged 25–64 using the 1980, 1990, and 2000 census data. The data were stratified into two subsamples based on age (25–49 and 50–64). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify which of the 10 selected variables had statistically significant association with homeownership in each age group across the
This narrative describes the author's experiences as a Southeast Asian social worker and educ... more This narrative describes the author's experiences as a Southeast Asian social worker and educator. It examines social work as a career option and explores the reasons why social work can he limiting for Southeast Asians. The author recounts the ways he uses his personal and professional backgrounds to challenge students to get past their ongoing fears about September 11"' and to take on professional roles. Finally, the author reflects on student evaluations and how they influence his thinking about Southeast Asians and social work.
This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic d... more This article discusses the often difficult and challenging process of setting up a new academic department, especially during a time of budget crisis. Furthermore it examines the role and purpose of the university, the place of so-called applied programs within the university, curriculum development of a new program, racial and cultural diversity at the university, and the overall relevance of the university as a vehicle for addressing community needs. The paper concludes with a discussion on how a Social Work faculty was able to use the university's mission to persuade its leadership into setting up a Social Work Department. Keywords: MSW program development; mission; values & ethics, fiscal crisis Introduction The development of a new academic program in higher education is both an exciting and a challenging experience. When such a program is introduced in a time of budgetary crisis and political unrest in the academy, the excitement and challenge escalates. While this is espe...
This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults... more This paper explored factors contributing to homeownership among single Vietnamese American adults aged 25–64 using the 1980, 1990, and 2000 census data. The data were stratified into two subsamples based on age (25–49 and 50–64). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify which of the 10 selected variables had statistically significant association with homeownership in each age group across the three censuses. The results revealed that among single Vietnamese Americans adults there was a healthy trend of changes in homeownership throughout these three decades of resettlement. Two factors that had somewhat consistent measures of association with homeownership were personal income and number of siblings. Despite the limited variation in sample sizes for the older single adults aged 50–64, this study provided some valuable preliminary insights into the homeownership of one of the newly established immigrant communities in the United States. The results highlight the role of economic achievement and family support in impacting the successful assimilation of newly-arrived immigrants or refugees.
This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical ... more This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical function and who provide childcare for their families are more likely to experience a greater sense of psychological distress than those with poor physical function who have no childcare responsibilities. We used a sample of 2160 elderly (age 65 or over) Latinos (including Puerto Ricans and those of Mexican, Cuban, or other Latin American origin or descent) from the National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People to test this hypothesis. Regression analysis was used, and the findings confirm that after controlling for age, gender, marital status, and education, the joint effect of physical function and childcare on psychological distress remains statistically significant. We further performed a sub-group analysis, also using regression analysis, to clarify the effect of poor physicalfunction on psychological distress in the sample of those who did provide and those who did not provide childcare. The findings clearly indicate that poor physical functioning has a greater effect on psychological distress in the group who provided childcare than in the group that did not. Implications for intergenerational practice and further research are discussed.
Uploads
Papers by Phu Phan