1. 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

2. 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.

3. Croatian emigration * Long tradition of immigration to Australia * Size of Croatian community in Australia: 60 000 - approximation

4. Croatian immigrants sample N=107 Age: M=53.4 years / 18-80 / Years in Australia: M=27.7 years / 3-46/ Currently living in Victoria

5. Distribution by gender females N=64 males N=44

6. Distribution of respondents regarding education and living status

7. Self assessed health status Instrument: The short form – 36 health survey questionnaire (Ware et al. 1993)

8. SF-36 36-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

9. 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

10. Respondents Croatian immigrants N=107 Croatian health survey N=5 048 Australian health survey N=18 468 Results from Australian national health survey and Croatian health survey will be shown for comparison.

11. Health statusscore distribution

12. Quality of life Instrument: Comprehensive Quality of Life scale (Cummins, 1997)  Subjective part

13. QoL domains 7 domains: material well beingsafety healthcommunity productivity emotional well being intimacy * measured through questions of importance and satisfaction

14. 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

15. Domain importance

16. *high importance scores on all domains in immigrant group *highest on Health and Relationships *the biggest difference in importance on Community domain

17. Domain satisfaction

18. * satisfaction levels same as in Australian metropolitan sample * mean scores same as in Western countries

19. 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

20. Subjective well-being Health DIMENSIONSWB = 80%SM MM Sg. Physical Functioning61.074.60.01 Role limitation due to Physical problems46.775.00.01 Role limitation due to Emotional problems52.876.00.05 Social Functioning57.270.30.01 Mental Health61.072.30.01 Energy & Vitality51.356.5 Pain56.372.60.01 General Health Perception49.965.70.01 Change in Health48.754.1

21. CorrelationHealth - Subjective well-being

22. 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