A Comparative Analysis of Croatian Immigrant's and the Australian Population's subjective quality of life and self-perceived health status Gorka Vuletić Robert A. Cummins School of Psychology Deakin University
Objective The aim of the research is to compare the subjective quality of life and self-perceived health status in Croatian immigrants living in Melbourne with Australian population and examine associations between social support, physical and mental health status, sense of control and life satisfaction in this group. Also, determine their major sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and to discover links between such factors and health.
Croatian emigration * Long tradition of immigration to Australia * Size of Croatian community in Australia: approximation
Croatian immigrants sample N=107 Age: M=53.4 years / / Years in Australia: M=27.7 years / 3-46/ Currently living in Victoria
Distribution by gender females N=64 males N=44
Distribution of respondents regarding education and living status
Self assessed health status Instrument: The short form – 36 health survey questionnaire (Ware et al. 1993)
SF item short-form health survey dominant instrument designed to assess health status it measures: physical functioning psychological functioning social functioning role performance perception of well being
36 items 9 scales PF = physical functioning RP = role-physical BP = bodily pain GH = general health VT = vitality SF = social functioning RE = role-emotional MH = mental health HT = health transition
Respondents Croatian immigrants N=107 Croatian health survey N=5 048 Australian health survey N= Results from Australian national health survey and Croatian health survey will be shown for comparison.
Health statusscore distribution
Quality of life Instrument: Comprehensive Quality of Life scale (Cummins, 1997) Subjective part
QoL domains 7 domains: material well beingsafety healthcommunity productivity emotional well being intimacy * measured through questions of importance and satisfaction
Subjective well-being Population mean for the western countries: 70-80%SM Croatian immigrants SWB M=74.7 %SMSD=10.7N=107 Australian metropolitan sample M=75.75 %SMSD=8.03N=89
Domain importance
*high importance scores on all domains in immigrant group *highest on Health and Relationships *the biggest difference in importance on Community domain
Domain satisfaction
* satisfaction levels same as in Australian metropolitan sample * mean scores same as in Western countries
Subjective well-being level Group I SWB < 80%SMN=61 Group II SWB >= 80%SMN=43 groups equal by: age, education, living status, years in Australia
Subjective well-being Health DIMENSIONSWB = 80%SM MM Sg. Physical Functioning Role limitation due to Physical problems Role limitation due to Emotional problems Social Functioning Mental Health Energy & Vitality Pain General Health Perception Change in Health
CorrelationHealth - Subjective well-being
Discussion and further research * high importance ratings on all domains * satisfaction in the range 70-80%SM * strong correlation between self assessed health and SWB * further insight in social support