title: Life satisfaction in the new country: a multilevel longitudinal analysis of effects of culture and 5-HTT allele frequency distribution in country of origin.
abstract: Life satisfaction of migrants to Australia from 17 countries, assessed at 4-5 months, 16-17 months and 3½ years after arrival, was analyzed with a longitudinal, multilevel analysis. The results indicated that migrants were more satisfied, if the national average life satisfaction was higher in their country of origin, after adjustment for individual-level income, age, and sex and a linear temporal trend. Simultaneously, the migrants were also happier if people in their country of origin had a higher frequency of 5-HTT long allele, a genotype known to be associated with resilience under life stresses. These two relationships were independent, suggesting that both culture and gene matter in international transitions.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia e.kashima@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Emiko S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kashima
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, La Trobe University Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kashima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000483:Alleles; D001315:Australia; D003469:Culture; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: culture-gene co-evolution; life satisfaction; migrants; serotonin transporter gene