Jang, YuriYoon, HyunwooPark, Nan SookChiriboga, David A.2020-03-252020-03-252016-07Jang, Y., Yoon, H., Park, N. S., & Chiriboga, D. A. (2016). Health vulnerability of immigrants with limited English proficiency: A study of older Korean Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 64(7), pp. 1498–1502.1532-5415https://hdl.handle.net/10877/9507OBJECTIVES: To examine the extent to which limited English proficiency (LEP) poses a risk to physical and mental health, using older Korean Americans as a target population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: Older Korean Americans (N = 1,301). MEASUREMENTS: Health outcomes were indexed using binary variables covering activity limitation, self-rated health, and probable depression. Participants who reported that they spoke English less than very well were categorized as manifesting LEP. RESULTS: Approximately 71% of the sample had LEP. Those with LEP scored lower on all measures of health than their English-proficient counterparts. In multivariate models, the risk of having activity limitations was 2.72 times as great (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.72–4.29, P < .001), a fair or poor rating of health 2.59 times as great (95% CI = 1.91–3.49, P < .001), and probable depression 1.73 times as great (95% CI = 1.29–2.31, P < .001) in participants with LEP. CONCLUSION: Limited English proficiency was identified as a critical source of health vulnerability. Systematic efforts should be made to reach out to older immigrants with LEP and include them in health-related research and prevention and intervention programs.Text10 pages1 file (.pdf)enolder ethnic immigrantshealthlimited English proficiencySocial WorkArticlehttps://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.14199