This study compared the subjective quality of life of elderly Poles living in Poland, and Polish immigrants and Polish-American ethnics living in Chicago. The article is a secondary data analysis of a study that replicated an earlier study conducted in Poland. The study uses three measures of quality of life used in the earlier study—self assessments of health, initiative, and fulfillment of plans and wishes—and develops a composite measure. The results showed that Polish-American ethnic elderly had significantly better subjective quality of life than Polish-immigrant elderly, and Polish-immigrant elderly had significantly better subjective quality of life than elderly Poles in Poland. These conclusions lend support to the idea the U.S.-born elderly people and elderly immigrants to the United States have access to an American cultural construct of “vital aging.” However, immigration is also a risk factor worthy of being added to the traditional “triple jeopardy.”
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AngelJ. L., & AngelR. J. (1992). Age at migration, social connections, and well-being among elderly Hispanics. Journal of Aging and Health, 4, 480–499.
2.
BerdesC., & ZychA. A. (1996). The quality of life of Polish immigrant and Polish American ethnic elderly. Polish American Studies, 53, 17–62.
3.
ErdmansM. P. (1992). Emigres and ethnics: Patterns of cooperation between new and established residents in Chicago's Polish community. Ph.D. dissertation, Northwestern University.
4.
ErdmansM. P. (1998). Opposite Poles: Immigrants and ethnics in Polish Chicago, 1976–1990.University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
5.
GeorgeL. K., & BearonL. B. (1980). Quality of life in older persons: Meaning and measurement.New York: Human Sciences Press.
6.
GuttmannD. (1979). Use of informal and formal supports by white ethnic aged. In GelfandD. E. & KutzikA. J. (Eds.), Ethnicity and aging: Theory, research, and policy (pp. 246–262). New York: Springer.
7.
HavensB., & ChappellN. L. (1983). Triple jeopardy: Age, sex, and ethnicity. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 15, 119–132.
8.
JansonP., & MuellerK. F. (1983). Age, ethnicity, and well-being: A comparative study of Anglos, Blacks, and Mexican Americans. Research on Aging, 5, 353–367.
9.
KrauseN., & GoldenhaarL. M. (1992). Acculturation and psychological distress in three groups of elderly Hispanics. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 47, S279–S288.
10.
LarsonR. (1978). Thirty years of research on the subjective well-being of older Americans. Journal of Gerontology, 33, 109–125.
11.
MarkidesK., & MartinH. W. (1979). A causal model of life satisfaction among the elderly. Journal of Gerontology, 34, 86–93.
12.
MasseyD. S.AlarconA.DurandJ., & GonzalezH. (1987). Return to Aztlan: The social process of international migration from western Mexico.Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
13.
MoonJ. H., & PearlJ. H. (1991). Alienation of elderly Korean American immigrants as related to place of residence, gender, age, years of education, time in U.S., living with or without children, and living with or without a spouse. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 32, 115–124.
14.
MortonD. J.StanfordE. P.HappersettC. J., & MolgaardC. A. (1992). Acculturation and functional impairment among older Chinese and Vietnamese in San Diego County, California. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 7, 151–176.
15.
MostwinD. (1979). Emotional needs of elderly Americans of central and eastern European background. In GelfandD. E. & KutzikA. J. (Eds.), Ethnicity and aging: Theory, research, and policy (pp. 262–276). New York, Springer.
16.
OsbergJ. S.McGinnisG. E.DeJongG., & SewardM. L. (1987). Life satisfaction and quality of life among disabled elderly adults. Journal of Gerontology, 42, 228–230.
17.
PearlmanR. A., & UhlmannR. F. (1988). Quality of life in the elderly: Comparisons between nursing home and community residents. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 7, 316–330.
18.
Pedraza-BaileyS. (1990). Immigration research: A cultural map. Social Science History, 14, 43–67.
19.
RuchlinH. S., & MorrisJ. N. (1991). Impact of work on the quality of life of community-residing young elderly. American Journal of Public Health, 81, 498–500.
20.
WymanM. (1993). Round-trip to America: The immigrants return to Europe, 1880–1930.Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
21.
ZychA. A., & BartelR. (1988). Zur Lebenssituation alternder Menschen in Polen und in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland—eine komparative Survey-Studie [Living Situation of Older People in Poland and in the Federal Republic of Germany—A Comparative Survey.]. Giessen, West Germany: Institut fuer Heil- und Sonderpaedagogik, Justus-Liebig-Universitaet.
22.
ZychA. A., & BartelR. (1990). Sytuacja zyciowa ludzi w podeszlym wieku w Polsce i w Republice Federalnej Niemiec—studium metodyczno-porownawcze [Living Situation of Older People in Poland and in the Federal Republic of Germany—A Comparative Survey.]. Kielce, Poland: Wyzsza Szkola Pedagogiczna im. Jana Kochanowskiego.
