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Resources and Well-being Among Arab-American Elders

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An Erratum to this article was published on 27 February 2007

Abstract

This study addresses diversity of aging experiences by examining the associations among immigrant status, religious affiliation, and resources in the form of both human and social capital with the well-being of Arab-American elders. Data were drawn from a face-to-face survey of 101 Arab-American men and women aged 56 and over living in the metropolitan Detroit area. Correlations demonstrate that religious affiliation is not associated with well-being. Multiple regression analyses reveal that U.S. born Arab Americans reported less frequent feelings of depression and greater life satisfaction than did immigrants, but this variation appears to be accounted for by human capital indicators including education level and language. Social capital including perceptions of the ability to confide in child and relationship quality with spouse is significantly associated with well-being, yet does not constitute a pathway to well-being for Arab-American elders. Human and social capital represent valuable resources and their distribution within this immigrant/ethnic group is associated with noteworthy variations in well-being.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by grant 1 R03 AG19388-01 from the National Institute of Aging. The author would like to gratefully acknowledge two anonymous reviewers as well as Margaret Perkinson for helpful remarks on an earlier version of this article; and further thank Toni Antonucci, Hiroko Akiyama, Kira Birditt, and members of the Life Course Development Program in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan for their important input into this research. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meetings of the Gerontological Society of America, San Diego, CA. November, 2003.

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  1. Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology, Eastern Michigan University, 712 Pray-Harrold, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA

    Kristine J. Ajrouch

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Correspondence to Kristine J. Ajrouch.

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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10823-007-9035-5.

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Ajrouch, K.J. Resources and Well-being Among Arab-American Elders. J Cross Cult Gerontol 22, 167–182 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-006-9033-z

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