PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H H Kitano

Publications and source records attributed to H H Kitano.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

The physical, mental, and social health status of older Chinese: a cross-national study.

This article reports data on 16 indicators of the physical, mental, and social health status of older Chinese living in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Los Angeles. Both the frequency distributions of these indicators and their factor structures are different among the three cities. These differences may have implications for the planning of public health services. Either they are the result of differences in the way in which people in each of these cities think about illness or they are the result of differential experiences with disease. Although these data cannot resolve this issue, both the frequency distributions and the severity ratings for nine chronic diseases also differed markedly among the three cities.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Norms and alcohol consumption: Japanese in Japan, Hawaii and California.

The study compared age/sex norms and alcohol consumption of a sample of Japanese from Japan and Japanese Americans in Hawaii and California. Age norms included acceptable drinking levels for the following age groups: 16, 21, 40 and 60, both male and female. There were significant differences in norms across the sites with the Japanese in Japan holding the most tolerant views of heavier drinking for men, followed by California and Hawaii. The Japanese-American samples were more tolerant of female drinking than were the Japanese. There was a high degree of similarity between Hawaii and California, whereas Japanese respondents in Japan differed in their responses. A correlation between drinking and norms by site indicated a high degree of congruence between drinking and more tolerant norms for drinking in all of the samples: Those who drank the most also had the most permissive norms toward drinking. The differences in norms between Japanese in Japan and Japanese Americans were explained in terms of enculturation and acculturation.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1989

The relative influence of selected social factors on Korean drinking behavior in Los Angeles.

The purpose of this study was twofold: to identify characteristics distinguishing Korean-American drinkers from abstainers and to clarify differences between those who drink smaller versus larger amounts of alcohol. A random sample of 280 Korean adults was interviewed using a schedule based on Cahalan's national study of drinking behavior and attitudes. Approximately 58% of the sample were abstainers while only about 14% were heavy drinkers. Logistic regression was used to determine the relative influence of various social factors on drinking behavior. The logistic model identified five characteristics which differentiated abstainers from drinkers: gender (male), college education, parental opposition, playing indoor games (e.g., cards) and going to bars, and/or nightclubs. A second logistic model clarified the influence of similar characteristics on the level of drinking. Males and those who went to bars and/or nightclubs were most apt to be heavy drinkers whereas participants in sports and Protestants were aligned with more moderate drinking.

Acculturation↗
PubMed1989

Differences in drinking behavior among three Asian-American groups.

This article challenges the commonly held beliefs that there are few if any heavy drinkers among Asian-Americans and that different groups of Asians exhibit similar patterns of drinking. To explore these stereotypes, alcohol consumption patterns were compared in a survey of 298 Chinese, 295 Japanese and 280 Koreans in Los Angeles. Heavy drinking was found in each of the Asian groups. Gender specific logistic regression models were used to illustrate the differences in the drinking patterns of the Asian-American groups and to clarify the determinants of drinking. The greatest proportion of heavy drinking was found among the Japanese and the lowest among the Chinese. Having friends who drank was the only social factor consistently related to Asian drinking behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Male Chinese drinking behavior in Los Angeles.

The purpose of this research was to identify the characteristics that distinguish male Chinese drinkers from abstainers and to clarify differences between Chinese men who drink limited amounts of alcohol and those who drink more heavily. A random sample of 218 adult Chinese men was interviewed using a schedule based on a national study of drinking behavior. The stereotype of Chinese as limited drinkers was partially supported by the data. Approximately 22% of the sample were abstainers whereas only 14% were heavy drinkers. Light drinkers were the modal category. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relative importance of the significant characteristics of drinkers and abstainers. Parents' drinking behavior influenced respondent's drinking behavior, and drinkers tended to like to go to parties. Chinese men with higher education were more apt to be drinkers. A second logistic regression model was used to identify the predictive variables related to the level of drinking. Chinese men who go to bars and who have friends who drink were the most likely to be heavy drinkers.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Exploring Filipino American drinking behavior.

The purpose of this article was to explore characteristics distinguishing levels of drinking by Filipino Americans. A sample of 298 adult Filipinos was interviewed using a schedule based on a national study of drinking behavior and attitudes. Approximately 50% of the female sample were abstainers while 80% of the men were drinkers. Heavy drinking was almost exclusively a male activity. Thus, two models of Filipino drinking were examined. Logistic regression was used to identify social factors distinguishing female drinkers from abstainers. A second model clarified the influence of similar characteristics on male Filipinos who drank limited amounts of alcohol and those who drank heavily. The only variable significant in both models was regular participation in religious service.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Predicting Japanese American drinking behavior.

Empirical data on Japanese American drinking behavior are scarce. The present study was a random sample (N = 295) of households in Los Angeles with Japanese surnames. Japanese Americans born in the United States tended to drink less than those born in Japan. The study also observed significant gender differences in Japanese American drinking behavior which were attributed to ascribed social roles. Other demographic and social determinants of drinking were examined through two logistic regression models. The first model predicted drinking (as opposed to abstaining), while the other distinguished heavy drinkers from those who drank alcohol in more moderate amounts. Potential reference groups (e.g., parents, friends, church groups, etc.) were often significant in predicting whether and how much a Japanese American drank.

Adult↗