The benefits of ethnic activity group participation on older immigrant well-being and host country adjustment

Drawing on acculturation and social identity literatures, the present research extends on initial work on social group connectedness among older immigrants to examine in a quasi-experimental study the well-being benefits of participating in heritage culture groups. Older immigrant clients (N = 66) of six aged-care agencies in Australia were given diary booklets in which to complete a set of measures on selected days when they did or did not attend the agencies’ heritage culture group activities, over a 2-month period. Results showed that heritage group participation reduced loneliness and increased well-being. Future research should replicate and extend these findings to assist our understanding of how heritage culture group participation aids first-generation older immigrants with aging successfully in a foreign land