Acculturation and Self‐Care Behaviours Among First‐Generation Chinese Immigrants With Cardiovascular Disease: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Aims

With little known about the impact of acculturation on cardiovascular disease (CVD) self-care among immigrants, this study examined acculturation among Chinese immigrants and investigated its association with CVD self-care behaviours in this population.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted, employing multiple acculturation indices and the Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory to collect data from Chinese immigrants with CVD via Chinese Community Centres, social media and cardiac clinics. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were employed. The study adhered to the STROBE guidelines.

Results

Altogether 260 participants were recruited; 47.7% were female; the mean age was 71.8 years, the mean age at migration was 55.1 years and their mean duration of residence in Australia was 16.7 years; 41.2% could not speak English. Participants reported low acculturation levels via the Suinn Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation scale (mean score 1.8), but perceived high self-efficacy in coping with acculturation stressors relating to their health management (mean score 33.6). Their attitudes scored as slight agreement with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) beliefs (mean score 3.4). Proxy acculturation measures revealed lower levels of acculturation associated with better CVD self-care behaviours. Higher perceived self-efficacy in coping with acculturation stress was linked with better CVD self-care maintenance and monitoring and better self-care management was observed among participants holding a stronger belief in TCM.

Conclusion

The acculturation of Chinese Australian immigrants contributed to the explanation of the variance in their CVD self-care behaviours.

Implication

Comprehensive assessment of acculturation in patients with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can help nurses identify those likely to demonstrate poor CVD self-care behaviours, and culturally specific, individually tailored interventions may support improved self-care.

Patient or Public Contribution

Patients were involved as participants in this study for data collection.