| Socioeconomic factors are among the strongest and most consistent determinants of variation in health status. In general, higher social status confers better health. However, this association varies by race, ethnicity, gender, and age, suggesting that socioeconomic position may operate along different pathways for various subgroup populations. Using an ecosocial theoretical framework, this study examines the relationship among socioeconomic position, health status, and subgroup membership for an understudied population group---Asian Americans---within the context of their diverse social, economic, and cultural environments. Very little research to date has examined the relationship between such factors and health outcomes for Asian American subgroups.; This study uses data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a population-based random-digit-dial (RDD) survey with race-ethnic supplemental samples. Multivariate logistic regression analyses are used to examine the relationship between socioeconomic position and health status.; Findings indicate that the inverse relationship between socioeconomic position and health is similar for Asian Americans in the aggregate as compared to Whites. However, when specific Asian ethnic groups are examined, the relationship varies greatly. For example, among Chinese and Vietnamese, education is a significant predictor of poor health status, but among Koreans, household income is a significant predictor. Distinctly different patterns for self-rated health and presence of two or more chronic conditions emerged for the relationship between these outcome variables and socioeconomic position, indicating that Asian Americans in this study have different conceptualizations of health and well-being. Findings also include the importance of English language proficiency on the relationship between socioeconomic position and health and the salience of health insurance.; In the absence of empirical data, Asian Americans are viewed as a homogeneous group and common stereotypes associated with the "model minority" myth prevail---namely that most Asian Americans have good health, receive adequate health care, and are not in need of programs and services. This study contributes new knowledge about the complex relationships among ethnicity, socioeconomic position, and health that will help policy makers, researchers, service providers, and advocates better address the needs of this diverse population group. |
