LIFE SATISFACTION OF CHINESE ELDERLY IMMIGRANTS IN CALGARY

This paper explores the life satisfaction of 81 randomly selected Chinese elderly immigrants (58 females and 23 males; mean age = 76) from a Chinese community in western Canada. The dependent variable, life satisfaction, was measured by the Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A) and a single-item global measure. Results indicated that most of the Chinese elderly immigrants in the study were rather satisfied with their life and scored high on the scale of LSI-A. Activity level, general health, psychological health, social support, self-esteem, and sense of personal control were the significant variables associated with both satisfaction measures. Multiple regression analyses revealed that psychological health, social support, and sense of personal control were the strongest predictors. No significant difference was observed in life satisfaction between male and female respondents. Further analyses presented the correlates of life satisfaction for respondents of both genders respectively. Discussion of the results focuses on enhancing the life satisfaction of this ethnic minority group.