Young Ji Yoon, PhD

Dr. Young Ji Yoon’s scholarly work investigates health disparities and inequities affecting marginalized populations based on age, race, ethnicity, poverty, limited health information, language, and immigration status. Through her research, she aims to generate actionable insights that inform the development of interventions to improve both physical and mental health outcomes. She has conducted extensive research on healthcare service utilization among racial and ethnic minority populations, including cancer screening, opioid services, and COVID-19 vaccination. Since joining Colorado State University Pueblo in 2021, she has expanded her focus to address the unique health needs of Hispanic populations in southern Colorado. Her research seeks to advance equity in healthcare access and outcomes by translating research findings into practical and community-centered solutions.

health disparities, immigrant health, cancer prevention, AI use in social work

Refereed Conference Presentations (*Presenter; Last 3 years only)

Sleep-Frankel, M.*, Yoon, Y., Jones, C., Park, J., & Lee, H. Y. (April 17, 2026). Adolescents’ experiences of anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review. Oral presentation at 2026 National Conference on DSW Education and Social Work Practice. Tuscaloosa, AL.

Kim, J.*, Yoon, Y., Lee, H. Y. (Jan 14-18, 2026). Bridging unequal digital connections: How mobility shapes the impact of social Internet use on loneliness in older adults during COVID-19. Oral presentation at 2026 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Lee, H. Y., Ki, E., Yoon, Y.*, Kim, D., Huang, M., Kan, L. K. (Jan 14-18, 2026). Social media reports of anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic: Incident types, victim characteristics, and emerging themes. Poster presentation at 2026 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Ward, C. Yoon, Y.*, Sleep-Frankel, M., Lee, H. Y. (Jan 14-18, 2026). Analyzing the links between anti-Asian hate incidents and the mental health of Asian americans during the covid-19 pandemic: a comprehensive scoping review. Oral presentation at 2026 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Kim, J.*, Lee, J. H., Lee, H. Y., Yoon, Y., Kim, D. (Nov 12-15, 2025). Internet use patterns among korean baby boomers: factors influencing gender differences. Oral presentation at 2025 Gerontology Society Association (GSA) Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston, MA.

Yoon, Y.*, Shin, S. H., Kim, D., Lee, H. Y. (Oct 23-26, 2025). Comparing anti-Asian hate in media and law enforcement reports: Insights from the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presentation at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

Yoon, Y.*, Lee, H. Y., Allen, R. S., Oliver, J., Payne-Foster, P., Wilson, L., Hay-McCutcheon, M. J., Cox, B., McIntyre, A. (Oct 23-26, 2025). Partnering with community health workers to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Alabama black belt. Poster presentation at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

Yoon, Y.*, Briggs, A., Caldera, B., Garcia, A. (Jan 15-19, 2025). Barriers to health service utilization among Mexican immigrant women in rural Colorado: A thematic analysis. Poster presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 29th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.

Kim, D., Yoon, Y., Giorgio, L.*, Lee, H. Y. (Jan 15-19, 2025). The paradox of online health information-seeking: Higher usage and the increased likelihood of unmet medical needs. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 29th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.

Baik, J.*, Ahn, S., Kim, D., Kim, K., Cha, M. Soh, S., Yoon, Y. (Jan 15-19, 2025). Navigating challenges and strategies for counseling for parents of at-risk adolescents: A focus group study. Poster presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 29th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.

Yoon, Y., Kim, D.*, Shin, H. H., Chandrasekaran, S., Kamibayashi, M., Beckwith, J., & Lee, Y. (Jan 15-19, 2025). Factors associated with anti-Asian hate incident reporting during COVID-19 pandemic: Comparisons between media and law enforcement data. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 29th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA. 

Shin, S. H.*, Yoon, Y., Kim, D., Chandrasekaran, S., Kamibayashi, M., Beckwith, J., & Lee, H. Y. (Aug 19-22, 2024). Examining discrepancies in Anti-Asian Hate Incident Reporting between media and law enforcement data amidst the COVID-19 era in the United States. Poster presentation at the 48th International Association for Research in Economic Psychology/Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics Joint Conference, Dundee, Scotland, U.K.

Caldera, B.*, Davis, B., & Yoon, Y. (Apr 5, 2024). The moderating role of gender in the association between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms: A study on older adults amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presentation at 2024 Spring Symposium, Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO.

Briggs, A.*, Caldera, B., Garcia, A., & Yoon, Y. (Apr 5, 2024). Health service utilization among Hispanic immigrant adults in rural areas: A phenomenological study. Poster presentation at 2024 Spring Symposium, Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO.

Sleep-Frankel, M.*, Yoon, Y., Ward, C., Lister, M., & Lee, H. Y. (Oct 24-27, 2024). The impact of hate incidents on mental health among Asian Americans: Comprehensive scoping review. Poster presentation at the 2024 Council on Social Work Education 70th Annual Program Meeting, Kansas City, MO.

Yoon, Y.*, Ward, C., Sleep-Frankel, M., Lister, M., & Lee, H. Y. (Mar 8, 2024). Understanding the impact of anti-Asian hate incidents on mental health among Asian Americans: A comprehensive scoping review. Oral presentation at the 3rd annual National DSW Conference on Education and Social Work Practice, Tuscaloosa, AL.

Lister, M.*, Yoon, Y., Ward, C., Sleep-Frankel, M., & Lee, H. Y. (Mar 26, 2024). Understanding the impact of anti-Asian hate incidents on mental health among Asian Americans: A comprehensive scoping review. Poster presentation at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference, Tuscaloosa, AL.

Yoon, Y.*,Kim, D., Lee, L. H., & Lee, H. Y. (Jan 10-14, 2024). Attitudes toward opioid-related service needs: Do social determinants of health matter? Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 28th Annual Conference, Washington, DC. 

Lee, L. H.*, Kim, D., Yoon, Y., & Lee, H. Y. (Jan 10-14, 2024). Factors associated with perceived transportation barriers for access to opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 2024 Annual Conference, Washington DC.

Yoon, Y.*, Anderson, D., Pino, S., & Davis, B. (Jan 10-14, 2024). Depressive symptom trajectory of adults with arthritis: Using Andersen’s Behavioral Model and Theory of Fundamental Causes. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 28th Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Lee, L. H.*, Kim, D., Yoon, Y., Noh, H., Jones, S., & Lee, H. Y. (Oct 26-29, 2023). Depression-transportation disparities in rural Alabama: A health equity lens for anti-oppressive education. Poster presentation at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Lee, H. Y.*, Lee, J., Yoon, Y., Kim, D., & Han, G. (Jun 12-14, 2023). Patterns of Internet use, depression, and health among Korean baby boomers. Poster presentation at International Association of Gerontology & Geriatrics Asia/Oceania Regional Congress 2023, Yokohama, Japan.

Lee, H. Y.*, Yoon, Y., & Kim, D. (Jun 12-14, 2023). Older adults' Internet use and depressive symptoms by gender. Poster presentation at International Association of Gerontology & Geriatrics Asia/Oceania Regional Congress 2023, Yokohama, Japan.

Yoon, Y., Anderson, D., Pino, S.*, & Davis, B.* (Apr 7, 2023). The effects of perceived discrimination on the depressive symptom trajectory of middle-aged and older adults with arthritis. Poster presentation at 2023 Spring Symposium, Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO.

Cho, M.*, Yoon, Y., & Flanagan, S. (Jan 11-15, 2023). Students’ risks for out-of-school suspensions: indigenous heritage and child welfare system involvement. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research 27th Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.

Soh, S.*, Baik, J., Choi, S., Joo, H., & Yoon, Y., (Jan 11-15, 2023). Development of personal counseling program for school violence victims based on trauma psychotherapy. Poster presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research 27th Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.

Refereed Journal Articles (Last 3 years only)

Shin, S., Yoon, Y., Lu, J., Lee, H. Y. (2026). Unequal burdens: Mental health effects of anti-Asian hate incidents across ecological contexts. Social Science & Medicine. 34(2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2026.101918

Kim, J., Yoon, Y., Kim, D., Lee, J., & Lee, H. Y. (2026, In print). Associations between social technology use and social engagement: A race- and ethnicity-stratified analysis among older adults. Journal of Social Service Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2026.2643587

Lee, H. Y., Lee, L. H., Kim, D., Yoon, Y., Noh, H., & Jones, S. (2026). Exploring the moderating role of gender in the link between depressive symptoms and non-household transportation use: A cross-sectional study in rural Alabama. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 36(2026), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2026.101893

Yoon, Y., Ward, C., Sleep-Frankel, M., & Lee, H. Y. (2026). Anti-Asian hate incidents and mental health outcomes among Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.: An extensive scoping review. The British Journal of Social Work. 56(1), 280-298. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaf214

Lee, H. Y., Yoon, Y., Briggs, H., Fromenthal, A. L., Sleep-Frankel, M., & Allen, R. S. (2025, In print). Navigating COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Alabama’s Black Belt: Information sources, safety perceptions, and motivations among African American adults. Social Development Issues, 47(3).

Yoon, Y., Shin, S, Kim, D., Lee, H. Y. (2025). Comparing media and law enforcement reports on anti-Asian hate incidents during COVID-19: A data visualization approach. JMIR Formative Research, 9(e70881), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.2196/70881

Lee, H. Y., Kim, J., Yoon, Y., Kim, D., & Chipalo, E. (2025). Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in the U.S.: Unraveling the differences by gender. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 44(9), 1472-1482. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648241311651

Love, H. A., Ezemenaka, C., Horton, A. G., Yoon, Y., & Lee, H. Y. (2025). Undergraduate class standing, social support, and depressive symptoms. Journal of American College Health. 73(8), 3127–3133. https://doi.org/1080/07448481.2024.2368009

Kim, D., Yoon, Y., Cosenzo, L., & Lee, H. Y. (2025). Rural Alabamians’ unmet medical needs: Rethinking the roles of online health information-seeking behaviors. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 12(6), 4134-4143. https://doi.org/1007/s40615-024-02207-6

Yoon, Y., An, S., Choi, Y. J., & Lee, H. Y. (2024). The interplay of social support and education on diabetes knowledge: A focus on Korean American women. Ethnicity & Health, 29(7), 793-808. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2024.2385109

Jin, S. W., Yoon, Y., & Hirschi, M. (2024). A moderating role of gender in online health information seeking behaviors for colorectal cancer knowledge among Korean Americans aged 50 to 75 years. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 34(5), 710-724. https://doi.org/1080/10911359.2023.2271546

Lee, H. Y., Yoon, Y., Choi, Y. J., & Ham, Y. H. (2024). Factors associated with Korean American women’s health-related Internet use: Findings from Andersen’s Behavioral Model. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 26(1), 124-132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-023-01540-y

Choi, Y. J., Lee, H. Y., Yoon, Y., & Blackburn, J. (2024). Health literacy among Korean American immigrant women in the USA: Role of social support. Social Work in Public Health, 39(4), 323-334. https://doi.org/1080/19371918.2024.2324148

Yoon, Y. (2024). Depressive symptom trajectory of older adults with diabetes: Exploring the role of physical activities using latent growth modeling. Aging & Mental Health, 28(7), 1041-1049. https://doi.org/1080/13607863.2024.2313722

Lee, L. H., Yoon, Y., Kim, D., Noh, H., Jones, S., & Lee, H. Y. (2023). Perceived transportation barriers moderate the association between depressive symptoms and household transportation use: A pilot study. Journal of Transport & Health, 33. 101713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2023.101713

Cho, M., Yoon, Y., Flanagan, S., & Haight, W. (2023). Students’ risks for out-of-school suspensions: Indigenous heritage and child protective services involvement. Child Maltreatment, 28(4), 563-575. https://doi.org/1177/10775595231176179