Abstract
Doubling in size since the 1970s, the aging needs of the African immigrant population are not fully understood. This qualitative study examined experiences of aging and retirement planning for African immigrant older adults in the United States (U.S.). Specifically, it explored the factors, processes, and ultimate decision of where these older adults planned to retire. Secondary analysis of semi-structured interviews with 15 older African immigrants in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area was conducted. Data was analyzed using thematic analyses in NVivo. The majority of participants were women, with a mean age of 64. Three overarching themes with ten sub-themes were identified. The themes included: (1) cultural identity, which indicated the participant’s comfort with the U.S. society and culture; (2) decision making, meaning factors that impact participants’ choice of retirement location; and (3) decision made, meaning the final choice of where participants would like to retire. Age-friendliness for immigrant older adults in the U.S. is complex and it includes traditional domains such as physical and sociocultural environment (e.g., housing, transportation, and income). However, immigrant age-friendliness also needs to include wider contextual aspects such as political climate of their country of origin, immigrant status, family responsibilities, and acculturation in the U.S. More research is needed to better understand and facilitate age-friendly environments and transnational aging of immigrant older adults.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralOlder immigrants make up 13.9% of older adults in the United States (U.S.) and that number is growing [1]
Africans only make up 6% of the older adult immigrant population in the U.S, almost one fifth of them are over 55 years [6]
Studies of the ‘healthy immigrant effect’ and ‘salmon bias’ amongst Africans are limited, but we reported that foreign-born Black (African and Afro Caribbean immigrants) older adults have better physical function compared to their U.S.-born counterparts [28]
Summary
Older immigrants make up 13.9% of older adults in the United States (U.S.) and that number is growing [1]. The aging of current immigrants and the inflow of new older adults are both trends that contribute to the growth of the U.S older adult population [3,4,5]. Most older immigrants are from Latin American countries (38%), followed by those from Asian (31%) and European (24%) countries [1]. Africans only make up 6% of the older adult immigrant population in the U.S, almost one fifth of them are over 55 years [6]. There are currently over 2 million African immigrants in the U.S [6,7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International journal of environmental research and public health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
