Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes Among Female Pakistani Immigrants: The InvaDiab-DEPLAN Study on Pakistani Immigrant Women Living in Oslo,Norway

The risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Pakistani immigrants is high. The aim of this study was to provide an update of the risk of T2D and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in female Pakistani immigrants living in Oslo, Norway. Female Pakistani immigrants (n = 198, age 25–63) were interviewed, and data related to T2D, including anthropometric measurements, blood data, heart rate, and level of physical activity, were determined. Ninety-eight pecentage had body mass index (BMI > 23 kg m⁻²) and 39% were obese (BMI ≥ 30). Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was found in 37%, MetS in 41%, and T2D in 13%, using fasting glucose. By score evaluation, approximately 90% had risk of T2D. The participants had low energy expenditure, despite acceptable number of steps walked during a day. The risk of T2D is very high in female Pakistani immigrants in Oslo.     

The influence of social stigma and discriminatory experience on psychological distress and quality of life among rural-to-urban migrants in China

The global literature has revealed a potential negative impact of social stigma on both physical and mental health among stigmatized individuals; however, the mechanisms through which social stigma affects the individual’s quality of life and mental health are not well understood. This research simultaneously examines the relationships of several determinants and mediating factors of psychological distress and quality of life. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey among 1006 adult (predominantly male) rural-to-urban migrants in 2004–2005 in Beijing, China. Participants reported on their perceived social stigma, discriminatory experiences in daily life, preparation for migration, discrepancy between expectation and reality, coping with stigma-related stress, psychological distress, and quality of life. Structural equation modeling was performed. We found that perceived social stigma and discriminatory experiences had direct negative effects on psychological distress and quality of life among rural-to-urban migrants. Expectation-reality discrepancy mediated the effects of perceived social stigma and discriminatory experiences on psychological distress and quality of life; coping mediated the effect of social stigma on quality of life. Psychological distress was associated with quality of life. Preparation prior to migration was positively related to coping skills, which were positively related to quality of life. We conclude that perceived social stigma and daily discriminatory experiences have a significant influence on psychological distress and quality of life among rural-to-urban migrants. Pre-migration training with a focus on establishment of effective coping skills and preparation of migration may be helpful to improve their quality of life and mental health.     

青南地区生态移民生存质量及相关因素研究

目的 了解青南地区生态移民生存质量及影响因素,为提高移民生存质量提供依据.方法 采用多阶段整群抽样的方法,抽取海南州两个县生态移民聚居村和相邻的当地居民,采用SF-36生存质量量表及自编一般情况调查表入户调查.结果 SF-36维度评分男性移民组在生理职能、躯体疼痛、精神健康维度高于非移民组.女性在生理职能、躯体疼痛和社...     

Psychological distress among Kurdish immigrants in Sweden

AIMS: To analyse whether there is an association between sex and poor self-reported health (SRH) and psychological distress in Kurdish immigrants. METHODS: This cross-sectional study is based on a sample consisting of immigrants, aged 27- 60 years, with self-reported Kurdish ethnicity (n=111, men; n=86, women) in Sweden originating from Iran and Turkey. It is based on data collected in 1996 from the first Swedish National Survey on the living conditions of immigrant groups conducted by Statistics Sweden. The prevalences of reporting poor health, sleeping difficulties, general fatigue and anxiety were estimated by sex. The association between sex and SRH and psychological distress was analysed by an unconditional logistic regression model estimating odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. The final model was adjusted for age, marital status, education, housing and employment. Immigrant-specific migration-related variables were used to explore possible reasons for the sex differences. RESULTS: Kurdish men and women had a high prevalence of poor SRH and psychological distress. Age-adjusted odds ratios for anxiety were higher in Kurdish women. Sex differences in anxiety remained even when marital status, education, housing and employment were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: Kurdish men and women report a high prevalence of poor SRH and indicators of psychological distress. Women had a higher risk for anxiety than men. Negative experiences of pre-migration as well as post-migration experiences, such as economic difficulties, preoccupation with the political situation in the home country, perceived discrimination, and feelings of poor control over one's life, were associated with the outcomes.     

Labor market integration,immigration experience,and psychological distress in a multi-ethnic sample of immigrants residing in Portugal

Objectives: This study aims at examining how factors relating to immigrants’ experience in the host country affect psychological distress (PD). Specifically, we analyzed the association among socio-economic status (SES), integration in the labor market, specific immigration experience characteristics, and PD in a multi-ethnic sample of immigrant individuals residing in Lisbon, Portugal.

Design: Using a sample (n?=?1375) consisting of all main immigrant groups residing in Portugal’s metropolitan area of Lisbon, we estimated multivariable linear regression models of PD regressed on selected sets of socio-economic independent variables. A psychological distress scale was constructed based on five items (feeling physically tired, feeling psychologically tired, feeling happy, feeling full of energy, and feeling lonely).

Results: Variables associated with a decrease in PD are being a male (demographic), being satisfied with their income level (SES), living with the core family and having higher number of children (social isolation), planning to remain for longer periods of time in Portugal (migration project), and whether respondents considered themselves to be in good health condition (subjective health status). Study variables negatively associated with immigrants’ PD were job insecurity (labor market), and the perception that health professionals were not willing to understand immigrants during a clinical interaction.

Conclusion: The study findings emphasized the importance of labor market integration and access to good quality jobs for immigrants’ psychological well-being, as well as the existence of family ties in the host country, intention to reside long term in the host country, and high subjective (physical) health. Our research suggests the need to foster cross-national studies of immigrant populations in order to understand the social mechanisms that transverse all migrant groups and contribute to lower psychological well-being.     

Living with Diabetes: Personal Interviews with Pakistani Women in Norway

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) among Pakistani women in Norway is remarkably high. This study aims to assess how they live with the disease and their response to lifestyle and medical information. 120 Pakistani women living in Norway (mean age: 55.7 years) were personally interviewed about their T2D using a structured questionnaire (response rate: 95%). The participants were first-generation immigrants (mean residence time: 28.7 years) of whom 27% were illiterates. Poor health was reported by one-third, and 71% had developed macrovascular comorbidities. A majority reported physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet included religious fasting. One-third was not able to self-measure their blood glucose. There was a great variation in antidiabetic drug regimens and one-fourth had to use insulin in addition to tablets. Pakistani women in Norway showed suboptimal control of their T2D in terms of lifestyle habits, comorbidities and drug use. Low literacy and cultural factors seem to challenge adherence to lifestyle and medical information.     

Effect of a Physical Activity Intervention on the Metabolic Syndrome in Pakistani Immigrant Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Physical activity (PA) is thought to prevent the metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is prevalent among south Asian immigrants in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to explore whether increasing PA improves the MetS and associated components in a group of Pakistani immigrant men living in Norway. One- hundred and fifty physically inactive Pakistani immigrant men were randomized to either a control group (CG) or an intervention group (IG). The 5?months intervention focused on increasing PA level, which was assessed using accelerometer recordings. Total PA level (counts min(-1)) increased significantly more in the IG than in the CG. The mean difference between the two groups was 49 counts min(-1), which translates into a 15% (95% CI?=?8.7% to 21.2%; P?=?0.01) greater increase in total PA level in the IG than in the CG. Serum insulin concentration and waist circumference decreased more in the IG compared with the CG. Other MetS related factors and the prevalence of the MetS did not differ between the groups after the intervention. A five- month intervention program can increase PA level and cardiorespiratory fitness, and reduce insulin concentration and waist circumference. However this intervention program may not lower the prevalence of the complete MetS in Pakistani immigrant men.     

‘The Healthy Migrant Effect’ for Mental Health in England: Propensity-score Matched Analysis Using the EMPIRIC Survey

Evidence has demonstrated that immigrants have a mental health advantage over the indigenous population of developed countries. However, much of the evidence-base demonstrating this mental health advantage is susceptible to confounding and inadequate adjustment across immigrant and non-immigrant groups preventing a rigorous assessment of a ’healthy migrant effect’. To compare the risk of common mental disorders in the immigrant population compared to the non-immigrant population in ethnic minority groups in England. A propensity-score matched analysis was carried out to adequately balance immigrant and non-immigrant groups for known confounders using the EMPIRIC national survey of Black-Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups. The mental health of participants was assessed using the validated Revised Clinical Interview Schedule tool. Immigrant participants were significantly less likely to have a common mental disorder than non-immigrant participants; OR?=?0.47, (95% CI 0.40, 0.56). The results from this study demonstrate that a mental health advantage exists in ethnic minority immigrants compared to non-immigrants when balancing the two groups for confounding factors. This may be due to immigrants possessing certain personality traits, such as "psychological hardiness", that the migration process may select for.     

A life course perspective on migration and mental health among Asian immigrants: the role of human agency

The relationship between human agency and health is an important yet under-researched topic. This study uses a life course perspective to examine how human agency (measured by voluntariness, migratory reasons, and planning) and timing (measured by age at immigration) affect mental health outcomes among Asian immigrants in the United States. Data from the National Latino and Asian American Study showed that Asian immigrants (n=1491) with multiple strong reasons to migrate were less likely to suffer from mental health problems (i.e., psychological distress and psychiatric disorders in the past 12 months) than those without clear goals. Moreover, Asian immigrants with adequate migratory planning had lower levels of distress and lower rates of 12-month psychiatric disorders than those with poorly planned migration. Compared with migrants of the youngest age category (six or younger), those who migrated during preteen and adolescent years without clear goals had higher levels of psychological distress, and those who migrated during adulthood (25 years or older) were less likely to suffer from recent depressive disorders (with the exception of those migrating for life-improving goals). Furthermore, we found that well-planned migration lowered acculturative stress, and multiple strong reasons for migration buffered the negative effect of acculturative stress upon mental health. Findings from this study advance research on immigrant health from the life course perspective by highlighting the effects of exercising human agency during the pre-migration stage upon post-migration mental health.     

Pre-migration Trauma Exposure and Psychological Distress for Asian American Immigrants: Linking the Pre- and Post-migration Contexts

Drawing on the life course perspective and the assumptive world theory, this paper examines whether pre-migration trauma exposure is associated with psychological distress through post-migration perceived discrimination for Asian American immigrants. The study is based on cross-sectional data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (N = 1639). Structural equation model is used to estimate the relationship between pre-migration trauma, post-migration perceived discrimination, and psychological distress. Additional models are estimated to explore possible variations across ethnic groups as well as across different types of pre-migration trauma experience. Pre-migration trauma exposure is associated with higher levels of psychological distress, both directly and indirectly through higher level of perceived discrimination, even after controlling for demographic/acculturative factors and post-migration trauma exposure. This pattern holds for the following sub-types of pre-migration trauma: political trauma, crime victimization, physical violence, accidental trauma, and relational trauma. Multi-group analyses show that this pattern holds for all Asian immigrant subgroups except the Vietnamese. Studies of immigrant mental health primarily focus on post-migration stressors. Few studies have considered the link between pre- and post-migration contexts in assessing mental health outcomes. The study illustrates the usefulness of bridging the pre- and post-migration context in identifying the mental health risks along the immigrant life course.     

Health, life expectancy, and mortality patterns among immigrant populations in the United States

BACKGROUND: The US immigrant population has grown considerably in the last three decades, from 9.6 million in 1970 to 32.5 million in 2002. However, this unprecedented population rise has not been accompanied by increased immigrant health monitoring. In this study, we examined the extent to which US- and foreign-born blacks, whites, Asians, and Hispanics differ in their health, life expectancy, and mortality patterns across the life course. METHODS: We used National Vital Statistics System (1986-2000) and National Health Interview Survey (1992-1995) data to examine nativity differentials in health outcomes. Logistic regression and age-adjusted death rates were used to examine differentials. RESULTS: Male and female immigrants had, respectively, 3.4 and 2.5 years longer life expectancy than the US-born. Compared to their US-born counterparts, black immigrant men and women had, respectively, 9.4 and 7.8 years longer life expectancy, but Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino immigrants had lower life expectancy. Most immigrant groups had lower risks of infant mortality and low birthweight than the US-born. Consistent with the acculturation hypothesis, immigrants' risks of disability and chronic disease morbidity increased with increasing length of residence. Cancer and other chronic disease mortality patterns for immigrants and natives varied considerably, with Asian Immigrants experiencing substantially higher stomach, liver and cervical cancer mortality than the US-born. Immigrants, however, had significantly lower mortality from lung, colorectal, breast, prostate and esophageal cancer, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, diabetes, respiratory diseases, HIV/AIDS, and suicide. INTERPRETATION: Migration selectivity, social support, socio-economic, and behavioural characteristics may account for health differentials between immigrants and the US-born.     

Hospital care among ethnic minorities in Britain

This study examined ethnic differences in the levels of inpatient admission and outpatient attendance in Great Britain using the latest national data available from the General Household Surveys of 1983-87. Inpatient admissions in immigrants (Indian, Pakistani and West Indian) did not differ significantly from whites, except for a marked excess in Pakistani women of childbearing ages. The pattern was quite different for outpatient attendance, with immigrant children and young adults having lower attendance rates than whites, and middle-aged immigrant adults showing higher rates. Levels of hospital-based care among immigrant groups may be lower than expected. As monitoring of the health status of ethnic groups, and their use of services, receives increasing recognition, it is important that information on ethnic origin is included in routine health information systems.     

Relationship of Sleep Quality with Coping and Life Styles in Female Moroccan Immigrants in Germany

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies conducted in Western societies show poorer sleep quality in women compared with men. Socioeconomic and stress-related psychological variables have been shown to influence sleep, but not much is known about sociological and psychological influences on the sleep of women in general and non-Western women in particular. The present study reports on sociodemographic and coping variables in relation to sleep quality in female Moroccan immigrants living in Germany. METHOD: Participants took part in a structured personal interview on Pittsburg Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) sleep quality, coping style preferences, and information related to the degree of identification with Western life style. RESULTS: Sleep quality was poor (PSQI > 6) in 39% of women. Surprisingly, women who had identified with a more Western lifestyle had poorer sleep quality than women who had retained their traditional Moroccan life style. An unusually large proportion of women preferred monitoring (i.e., information-seeking coping style) and adaptive coping (48% and 19%, respectively), regardless of sleep quality. Monitoring was more frequent in women who were less integrated into German culture. CONCLUSIONS: Results on sleep quality suggest that for Moroccan immigrant women in Germany, adopting a Western life style may be more stressful than retaining their native life style. The high preference for an information seeking approach in coping may reflect the desire for information rather than actual coping behavior.     

Cross-sectional associations between sitting at work and psychological distress: Reducing sitting time may benefit mental health

ProblemEvidence is emerging of adverse associations between prolonged sitting at work and physical health, yet little is known about occupational sitting and mental health. This study examined associations between occupational sitting and psychological distress in employed adults, independent of leisure-time physical activity.MethodsA survey of 3367 state government employees (mean age 46.2 years, 71.9% women) was conducted in Tasmania, Australia, during 2010 as part of an evaluation of workplace health and wellbeing programs. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) was used to measure psychological distress, and participants reported time spent sitting at work on a typical day. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Ratios of prevalence (PR) for categories of psychological distress were estimated by log multinomial regression separately for men and women, and with adjustment for age, marital status, effort-reward imbalance and leisure-time physical activity.ResultsAverage reported occupational sitting time was 4.8 (Standard Deviation SD = 2.5) hours for men and 4.2 (SD = 2.7) hours for women. Compared to those sitting at work less than 3 h/day, men sitting more than 6 h/day had increased prevalence of moderate psychological distress (adjusted PR = 1.90, 95%CI 1.22, 2.95), and women sitting more than 6 h/day had an increased prevalence of moderate (adjusted PR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.05, 1.49) and high (adjusted PR = 1.76, 95%CI 1.25, 2.47) distress.ConclusionThe current study found an association between occupational sitting and intermediate levels of psychological distress, independent of leisure-time physical activity. Reducing occupational sitting time may have mental health benefits.     

Coping and HIV infection in African-American women

HIV is impacting African-American women at alarming rates. Many of these women are poor and socially disadvantaged, resulting in a combination of stressors that impacts the quality of their lives. This study investigated whether coping style (i.e., problem-focused, emotion-focused) varies as a function of HIV status or stage of HIV-related illness. Secondly, we examined whether the use of a particular style is associated with three areas of functioning among HIV-infected women: general psychological distress, depressive symptomatology, and physical symptomatology. Ninety-nine HIV-infected women and 143 noninfected women completed measures assessing coping styles and functioning. No significant differences emerged in coping styles between the HIV-infected and noninfected women or for the groups when symptomatic women were examined separate from asymptomatic women. Greater emotion-focused coping was associated with less general psychological distress and depression specifically. Problem-focused coping interacted with illness stage to predict all areas of functioning. By identifying effective coping strategies among African-American women with HIV, mental health professionals can design empirical interventions that can help improve quality of life for these women.     

School difficulties in immigrant adolescent students and roles of socioeconomic factors, unhealthy behaviours, and physical and mental health

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: School is a multi-cultural setting where students need social, material, physical, and mental resources to attain school achievement. But they are often lacking, especially for immigrant students. In an early adolescence context, this study assessed risk for school difficulties among European and non-European immigrants and the roles of socioeconomic characteristics, physical health, psychological health, social relationships, living environment, and unhealthy behaviours. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,559 middle-school adolescents from north-eastern France, who completed a self-administered questionnaire including socioeconomic characteristics (gender, age, family structure, father's occupation, and family income), WHO-Quality of life (measuring the four dimensions physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and living environment), unhealthy behaviours (last-30-day uses of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit drugs and no regular sports/physical activities), grade repetition, low school performance (<10/20), and school dropout ideation at 16 years. Data were analyzed using logistic models. RESULTS: Grade repetition affected 14.8% of students, low school performance 8.2%, and school dropout ideation 3.9%. European immigrants had a higher risk for grade repetition only with a gender-age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.44, vs. French students. This odds ratio decreased to 1.76 (contribution 47%) with further adjustment for all confounders (family structure, father's occupation, family income, physical health, psychological health, social relationships, living environment, and unhealthy behaviours). Non-European immigrants had a statistically higher risk for all grade repetition, low school performance, and school dropout ideation with ORs of 3.29, 3.02, and 3.42, respectively vs. French students. These odds ratios decreased to 1.76, 1.54, and 1.54, respectively (contributions 66%, 73%, and 78%, respectively) with further adjustment for all confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with French students, European immigrant students were more affected only by grade repetition while non-European immigrant students by all grade repetition, low school performance, and school dropout ideation. The contribution of socioeconomic characteristics, physical health, psychological health, social relationships, living environment, and unhealthy behaviours was very high and much higher for non-European than for European immigrant students. Public policy should focus on these factors and services to reduce school difficulties.     

Different Outcomes for Different Health Measures in Immigrants: Evidence from a Longitudinal Analysis of the National Population Health Survey (1994–2006)

The response of immigrants to new societies is dynamic. There may be an initial period of happiness followed by peaks of stressful periods. These reactions along with socio-economic changes are likely to influence their health, which may start converging towards the average health of the host population. We used a longitudinal analysis to assess the differences in health outcomes (mental health and self-rated health), separately in men and women, in Canadian born and immigrants over a 12-year period (and the associated socio-economic factors). We used random effects logistic regression models for evaluation of these health outcomes in 3,081 men and 4,187 women from the National Population Health Survey (1994/95 to 2006/07). After adjusting for all the covariates, non-white immigrants were less likely to have severe psychological distress compared with the Canadian born individuals [odds ratio (OR) Men: 0.49, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.24–1.00, Women-OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32–0.92]. Immigrant women (white and non-white) were more likely to rate their health as poor through this 12-year period than the Canadian born women (White-OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.17–2.64; Non-white-OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.01–3.28). Immigrants in the lowest income adequacy category reported higher psychological distress and poorer health than those in the highest income categories. We did not find any significant differences in the mental health and self-rated health of Canadian men and white male immigrants throughout this 12-year period. Though, non-white immigrant women were less likely to have severe psychological distress through this 12 year period, they were the ones most likely to rate their health as poor.     

Generational Differences in Psychosocial Adaptation and Predictors of Psychological Distress in a Population of Recent Vietnamese Immigrants

While first-wave Vietnamese immigrants adapted well to life in the United States, subsequent immigrants have had greater adjustment difficulties, including more evidence of psychological distress. This study aimed to analyze psychosocial adaptation differences among three generations of recent Vietnamese immigrants, as well as to examine predictors of mental distress in the sample as a whole. A community sample of 184 recent Vietnamese immigrants, categorized as either elderly, middle-aged, or young adults, was assessed for levels of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD, as well as family conflict, dissatisfaction with life in the U.S., acculturation and biculturalism, social support, coping, and premigratory stressors. Young Vietnamese adults were most acculturated, most bicultural, and reported themselves as healthiest and least depressed. They were most often working, least often on welfare, and had the highest family income. However, they also reported most dissatisfaction with their current lives in the U.S. and most family conflict. Regression analysis explaining approximately one-quarter of the variance in mental distress implicated current dissatisfaction with and lack of adjustment to life in the United States, as well as greater acculturation and increased family conflict. Although young adults scored significantly higher than other generations on most of the risk factors for psychological distress, they appeared to be buffered against poorer mental health outcomes by factors of generation and perceived positive overall well-being. In terms of testing a predictive model of psychological distress, this study found current adjustment factors significantly more important in determining mental health outcomes than premigratory stressors such as war-related traumas.     

Health related quality of life in immigrants and native school aged adolescents in Spain

OBJECTIVES: To compare health related quality of life (HRQL) between native and immigrant adolescents aged 12 to 18 years, and to analyse psychosocial factors associated with HRQL. DESIGN: A cross sectional study of adolescents (12-18 years old) who answered a self administered questionnaire. SETTING: All the secondary schools from Lloret de Mar (Girona, Spain). PARTICIPANTS: 1246 participants (88.9% of the eligible students). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome was the Spanish version of the Vecu et Sante Percue de l'Adolescent (VSP-A), a HRQL measure addressed to adolescents. Mean scores of the VSP-A index of natives and immigrants were compared, as well as their sociodemographic and health related factors. Multiple regression examined the relation between HRQL and psychosocial factors, controlling for the effect of socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: Half of the sample were boys, in the middle socioeconomic status, and 18.2% were immigrants (n = 226). HRQL score was higher in native Spanish adolescents than immigrants (p<0.01). Multiple regression model explaining 48.1% of the VSP-A variance showed that migration in itself has no statistically significant impact on HRQL, and age, socioeconomic status, social support, discrimination, and psychological distress do play a part. CONCLUSIONS: Migrants have worse HRQL than natives but it seems to be mediated by their disadvantage in socioeconomic status, social support, and psychological distress.     

Subjective well-being, sociodemographic factors, mental and physical health of rural residents

Objective: To ascertain the relationship between subjective well‐being and sociodemographic factors, mental and physical health of a sample of rural residents. Design: Cross‐sectional survey with stratified random sampling of persons based on the 2000 State Electoral Role. Questionnaire was forwarded to 23 000 residents throughout a rural area. Setting: Households within Gippsland. Participants: Five thousand three hundred and ninety‐one adults aged 18 years and above. Main outcome measures: Residents completed a self‐reported questionnaire assessing life satisfaction/subjective well‐being, psychological distress, sociodemographic factors, physical and mental health problems. Results: Completed survey indicated that participants with lower levels of psychological distress, physical disability and mental disability had higher odds of being satisfied with their life. Participants with severe mental disability had the lowest odds of being satisfied with life. On average, participants were satisfied with their life (mean score of 21, SD = 5.9), are within the normal range of the Kessler‐10 (mean score = 16.31, SD = 5.85), had no mental disability (mean score = 51.8, SD = 7.36) on the mental component of the Short Form‐12 Health Survey, but are mildly physically disabled (mean score = 48.9, SD = 7.74). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that sociodemographic factors, psychological distress, physical health and mental health contribute to subjective well‐being. Compared with other age groups, those aged 66 years and above had the highest level of life satisfaction. Those living with partner/spouse without children, with no mental or physical disability and no psychological distress had highest level of life satisfaction. Women also had higher levels of life satisfaction compared with men.