title: Subjective quality of life of Polish, Polish-immigrant, and Polish-American elderly.
abstract: 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."
authors.affiliation: Buehler Center on Aging, McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2611, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berdes
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zych
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002641:Chicago; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged / Q000523:psychology; D011044:Poland / Q000208:ethnology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires