Assistant Professor
Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing

Chronic disease management and prevention, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases, Health disparities, community-based health research

1992-94 - Professional Nurse Traineeship, Division of Nursing
National Institute of Health
2004 – Lucile Petry Leone Scholarship, UCSF School of Nursing
2004-05 – UCSF Graduate Dean’s Health Science Fellow
2004-present – Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, member, Alpha Eta Chapter
2005 – Korean American Scholarship Foundation Scholarship
2005-06 – National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association (NCEMNA)
Mentee Award
2005 – Research Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Eta Chapter
2006 – Best Poster Award (3rd place), National Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO
2006 – Promise of Nursing Regional Faculty Fellowship, Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association
2006 – UCSF School of Nursing Alumni Scholarship
2006 – Andrew’s Scholarship, UCSF School of Nursing
2007 – Nominated and selected to participate in the first UC Women Leadership Conference sponsored by the UC Office of the President

My research focuses on identifying and understanding multi-dimensional (bio-psycho-socio-cultural) factors associated with chronic disease self-management among ethnic minority immigrants, particularly those with diabetes mellitus. I use quantitative methods in investigating these issues. A recently completed study examined risk perception of heart disease among Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes and the influence of acculturation and social/family support on diabetes self-management and outcome. Currently I am planning an intervention study to develop and test culturally-tailored community based diabetes self-management programs focusing on behaviors such as diet and exercise. The overarching goal in my program of research is to address health disparities in chronic disease management among underserved racial/ethnic minorities and immigrants through innovative community-based approach.

Choi, S., Rankin, S., Stewart, A., & Oka, R. (2008). Factors associated with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk perception in Korean immigrants with Type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Educator, 34, 484-492.

Choi, S., Rankin, S., Stewart, A., & Oka, R. (2008). Meta Analysis: Effects of acculturation on smoking behavior in Asian Americans. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 23, 67-73.

Choi, S. & Rankin, S. (2009). Factors influencing glucose control in Korean immigrants with Type 2 diabetes. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 31, 347-363.

Choi, S. (2009). Diet-specific family support and glucose control among Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Educator, 35(6), 978-985.

Choi, S. (2011). Anthropometric measures and lipid coronary disease risk factors in Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 26(5), 414-422.

Choi, S., Lee, J., & Rush, E. (2011). Ethnic and language disparities in diabetes care among California residents. Ethnicity and Disease, 21(2), 183-189.

Choi, S. & Reed, P. (2011). Psychometric validation of a short acculturation scale for Korean immigrants. Nursing Research, 60(4), 240-246.

Choi, S. Chung, S., Chow, V., & Wong, N. (2011). Do risk factors explain the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes among California Asian adults? Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 13(5), 803-808.

Choi, S & Rush E (2012). Effect of a short-duration, culturally tailored, community-based diabetes self-management intervention for Korean immigrants: A pilot study, The Diabetes Educator, 38(3), 377-385.

Myong, JP, Kim, HR, Choi, S, Koo JW (2012) The effect of socioeconomic position on one health among Koreans by gender and menopausal status. Calcified Tissue International, 90:488-495

Shin, J., Chiu, Y., Choi, S., Cho, S., & Bang, H. (2012). Serious psychological distress, health risk behaviors, and diabetes care among adults with type 2 diabetes: The California Health Interview Survey 2007. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 95(3), 406-414

Choi, S., Rush, E., & Henry, S. (2012). Health literacy in Korean immigrants at risk for type 2 diabetes. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health (In Press)

Holland, A, Zhao, B, Wong, E, Choi, S, Wong, N, Palaniappan, L (2012). Racial/Ethnic differences in control of cardiovascular risk factors among type 2 diabetes patients in an insured, ambulatory care population, Journal of Diabetes and its Complications (In Press)

Myong, JP, Kim, HR, Choi, S, Koo JW (2012). Dose-related effect of urinary cotinine levels on bone mineral density among Korean females, Osteoporosis International (In Press)

Choi, S, Reed, P (2012). Contributors to depressive symptoms among Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes, Nursing Research (In Press)

Principal Investigator and Trainee, CHD Risk and Behavior in Korean immigrants with Type 2 diabetes (Ph.D. dissertation), Individual NIH/NINR National Research Service Award (NRSA) 5F31NR009329 1/1/05-12/31/07

Principal Investigator and Trainee/Scholar, Social Support and Diabetes Outcomes among Asian Immigrants, NIH/ NCRR Clinical and Translational Science Awards 1KL2RR031983-01 12/1/10-3/31/13

Principal Investigator Health Literacy, Health Behavior, and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes among Korean Immigrants in Orange County. Campus-Community Research Incubator Program (CCRI), Institute for Clinical Translational Science University of California Irvine, 2/1/10 – 1/31/11

Principal Investigator Psychosocial environment of Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes Academic Council on Research, Computing, and Libraries (CORCL) University of California Irvine, 3/1/10-2/28/11

Principal Investigator Effect of a culturally tailored diabetes education program on self-management practices and glucose control in Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes: A pilot study School of Medicine Committee on Research and Graduate Academic Program University of California Irvine, 6/1/10 -5/30/11

Principal Investigator and Scholar Family support, adherence to self-management, and diabetes outcomes among older Korean immigrants NIH/NIA-funded UCLA/CDU RCMAR/CHIME (#2P30AG021684-11) Pilot Study Award 2012-2013

American Diabetes Association

Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association

National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association

Western Institute of Nursing

Sigma Theta Tau International

Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association

American Heart Association, Council on Cardiovascular Nursin

Family Nurse Practitioner
San Francisco VA 2007—2008

Family Nurse Practitioner
Santa Barbara Public Health Clinic-Lompoc 1994—2003

Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=5541

Last updated
12/21/2012