Family spirituality among Korean-American elderly families with cultural and Christian perspectives

5^th International Conference on Family Nursing

June 13-15, 2016 Philadelphia, USA

Yeoun Soo Kim-Godwin and Suk-Sun Kim

University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA
Ewha Womans University, Korea

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Although a growing body of research suggests that spirituality is a significant resource for Korean-Americans, there exists a paucity of research which has explored the cultural dimension of spirituality among Korean-American elderly families. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the cultural aspects of family spirituality among church attending Korean-American elderly families, and how it influences family health. A purposive sample of 51 Korean-Americans (27 older adults and 24 family members) were recruited from three local churches in the Southeastern United States. A thematic and interpretive method was used to analyze transcribed interviews, which were conducted with each older adult and family member separately. Four main themes of family spirituality were identified: (1) family togetherness, (2) family interdependence, (3) family coping, and (4) family spiritual rituals and routines. Korean-Americans experience family spirituality in the cultural context of spiritual rituals and routines. After immigration, most participants discontinued their traditional rituals and replaced these with new church oriented family routines because they had converted to Christianity. Moreover, participants reported that family spirituality strengthened family health by fostering family commitment, improving emotional wellbeing, developing new healthy behaviors, and providing healing experiences. As our society becomes more culturally diverse, healthcare providers should seek to understand family spirituality from different cultural perspectives to develop a more holistic approach to care.

Biography :

YeounSoo Kim-Godwin completed her PhD at the University of South Carolina. She is a Professor in the School of Nursing University of North Carolina Wilmington. She has published over 35 peer reviewed articles in nursing and interdisciplinary journals. She is serving as manuscript reviewer of several health/nursing journals on a regular basis.

Email: kimy@uncw.edu