Residence In Australia Research Articles

Comparative research between Australia and Japan: A comparison of the quality of health care in nursing facilities using actigraphy

Aging in Japan is advancing at a globally unprecedented rate. In Japan, the provision of high quality nursing care for aged people is needed. In the present study, we clarify the effect of different environments and nursing care service on the life rhythm of aged people in Japan and Australia. In Australia, cognitive rehabilitation with activities offered at nursing facilities focuses on resident care needs and the promotion of independence through Diversional Therapy (DT). The participants were nine nursing facility residents in Australia where DT is practiced (ANF). In Japan, 10 nursing facility residents (JNF) and 11 people living independently (JLI). Upon explanation of the research objective to the three groups and obtaining their consent, participants were equipped with wristwatch-style actigraphs that were attached to the non-dominant hand for 3 days. results: The time period of most activity for ANF was 13.00-14.00 hours at 224.6 +/- 75.5 counts/min, which was significantly higher when compared with the 136.8 +/- 63.8 for JNF (P < 0.05). Wake after onset of sleep, defined as minutes awake at night after falling asleep, was 48.8 +/- 40.1 for ANF, 102.2 +/- 82.6 for JNF and 18.5 +/- 11.7 min for JLI. The JNF group was observed to have the longest night wake time (P < 0.05). Employing actigraphs, sleep-wake assessments were conducted on aged people in three different lifestyle environments. This lifestyle difference was clear from the activity rhythm detected. Then, from a comparison of both countries, we were able to offer suggestions on life patterns of aged people brought about by the differences embodied in culture, environment and economic background.

Tourism Demand Modelling and Forecasting: How Should Demand Be Measured?

Tourist arrivals and tourist expenditure, in both aggregate and per capita forms, are commonly used measures of tourism demand in empirical research. This study compares these two measures in the context of econometric modelling and the forecasting of tourism demand. The empirical study focuses on demand for Hong Kong tourism by residents of Australia, the UK and the USA. Using the general-to-specific modelling approach, key determinants of tourism demand are identified based on different demand measures. In addition, the forecasting accuracy of these demand measures is examined. It is found that tourist arrivals in Hong Kong are influenced mainly by tourists' income and ‘word-of-mouth’/habit persistence effects, while the tourism price in Hong Kong relative to that of the tourist origin country is the most important determinant of tourist expenditure in Hong Kong. Moreover, the aggregate tourism demand models outperform the per capita models, with aggregate expenditure models being the most accurate. The implications of these findings for tourism decision making are that the choice of demand measure for forecasting models should depend on whether the objective of the decision maker is to maximize tourist arrivals or expenditure (receipts), and also that the models should be specified in aggregate form.

Public policy and the dependency of nursing home residents in Australia: 1968–69 to 2006–07

The purpose of this paper is to derive annual estimates of the aggregate dependency of the nursing home population in Australia, and to use these data to consider the impact of Government policies to target nursing home services to those with high care-needs/dependency. Two related tools, the 'Aggregate Dependency Value' and 'Aggregate Dependency Index', have been constructed using the principles of case-mixed based systems, to quantify the aggregate dependency of residents. Data on all residents 1968-1969 to 2006-2007, and on newly admitted residents 1992-1993 to 2006-2007 have been derived and analysed. To construct the tools, the percent of residents classified into various dependency categories were weighted by proxy measures of their dependency. These were summed, and converted into index numbers to estimate rates of change in the aggregate dependency of residents. The derived data were used to consider possible impacts of the policies. The data indicate that the dependency of residents has, for the most part, increased over recent decades but that the rate of the increase has varied. An increase in the dependency of residents corresponds with the policies' objectives. The tools extend the ways the dependency of nursing home residents in Australia can be assessed. The estimates support the effectiveness of the Government's targeting policies but causal relationships have not been estimated.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Adult Australian-Lebanese in Melbourne

This descriptive exploratory study reports on the prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk factors among adult Australian-Lebanese migrants living in Melbourne. This study fills a gap in extant research regarding CVD risk factors within this ethnic community in Melbourne. Problem statement: Australia’s multicultural society consists of more than 200 ethnic groups and nearly a quarter of the Australian population are born overseas. Thus, the health status of immigrants significantly affects the national health profile. Whilst the prevalence of CVD risk factors has been researched in several ethnic communities in Melbourne, it has never been studied among the Australian-Lebanese migrants living in Melbourne. Approach: A convenience sample of 200 adult Australian-Lebanese men (88) and women (112) residing permanently in Melbourne completed a structured questionnaire based on the 1989 National Heart Foundation Risk Factor Prevalence Study (NHFRFPS, 1990). Physical measurements of height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure and reported cholesterol levels were also obtained. Results: Subjects were aged between 20-69 years and manifested many risk factors for CVD. Lack of physical activity and increased weight were prevalent across all age groups. Hypertension increased with age and smoking was more prevalent among the Australian-Lebanese when compared with the general Australian population. Multivariate forward logistic regression analysis found that the strongest predictors of CVD risk factors were age, gender, level of education and length of residence in Australia. The most vulnerable were older men with a lower level of education who had resided in Australia for more than 10 years. Conclusion: The CVD risk factors among the Australian-Lebanese included overweight and obesity, lack of physical activity and high levels of smoking. The findings warrant further research among other Arabic speaking groups who have similar social and cultural practices. The findings demonstrate the need for culturally tailored health promotion programs aimed at reducing CVD risk behaviors among this ethnic group.

The Sojourner Community: Japanese Migra‐tion and Residency in Australia ‐ By Tetsuo Mizukami

<i>The Sojourner Community: Japanese Migra‐tion and Residency in Australia</i> ‐ By Tetsuo Mizukami

Teaching Smarter to Improve the English Communication Proficiency of International Engineering Students – Collaborations Between Content and Language Specialists at the University of Western Australia

SummaryThe current controversy surrounding recently released immigration statistics on international student graduates of Australian universities and the ongoing debate on literacy standards in our schools form the context for this paper. A variety of explanations have been offered on how it can be that a large portion of international students graduating from Australian universities are being granted permanent residency in Australia with lower International English Language Testing System scores than those required for university entry and professional employment. An equally wide variety of explanations has been offered on the purported slippage of English literacy standards in schools. While the focus of this paper is on academic English literacy skills, and while it certainly turns a spotlight on international students, it is not, however, the intention in this paper to enter fully into either the first controversy or the second debate. The purpose of this paper is rather to examine disparities that seem to exist between international and Australian student performance in the professional development component of their engineering programs at the University of Western Australia (UWA). These disparities are evident in data of students enrolled in Introduction to Professional Engineering (IPE), the foundation unit for the professional development of engineering students at UWA. In contrast to the technical component of the degree, this unit depends heavily on English communication skills. Collaboration between content and language experts in 2006 and 2007 seems to hold promise of achieving more equitable outcomes for international students. This collaboration has reversed the widening gap in the pass rates of international and Australian students in the unit. It is hoped that this will, in turn, lead to improved international student retention rates in the degree.

Insulin, lipid profiles and measures of fatness in Taiwanese women in relation to duration of residence in Australia.

This study investigated the relationships between measures of fatness and blood insulin and lipids in Taiwanese females living in Taiwan (n=97) or Australia (n=100), and examined the effect of length of residence in Australia on these relationships. Fasting glucose and lipids were determined by Reflotron and fasting insulin using Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay; insulin resistance (IR) was identified by HOMA. There were no significant inter-country differences in crude plasma insulin or HOMA-IR between Taiwan and Australia (51.7+/-42.2 vs. 45.0+/-29.0 pmol/L and 1.43+/-1.21 vs. 1.29+/-1.00, respectively, all p> 0.05), but when insulin and HOMA-IR were adjusted for waist circumference, they were greater in Taiwan (45.7+/-1.6 vs. 38.0+/-1.6 pmol/L and 1.26+/-1.59 vs. 1.13+/-1.59, respectively, all p< 0.05). Subjects living in Australia greater than 5 years had higher insulin and HOMA-IR values than those with less than 5 years residence (50.0+/-32.3 vs. 32.4+/-10.5 pmol/L and 1.45+/-1.00 vs. 0.90+/-0.28, respectively, all p< 0.01), even after adjustment for all measures of fatness. Subjects in Australia > 5 years have 6 (CI, 1.3-27.9) times the risk of having insulin > 50 pmol/L; the increased risk being confined to generally and/or centrally obese women. Measures of central obesity and general obesity were positively associated with HOMA-IR in both countries (r = 0.23, p< 0.05 and 0.27 p< 0.01, Taiwan, 0.43 and 0.43, both p< 0.01, Australia). Taiwanese females living in Australia initially appear to have a more favorable state of IR than those in Taiwan, but insulin resistance is associated with length of residence in Australia, particularly among the obese.

‘If I Had My Residency I Wouldn't Worry’: Negotiating Migration and HIV in Sydney, Australia

Objective. To describe the interrelationships between migration and resettlement, the Australian immigration system and living with HIV. Method. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with clients of the Multicultural HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C Service and a sexual health clinic in the Sydney metropolitan area over an 18-month period in 2003–2004. Results. Three major themes interwoven with migration were identified: HIV diagnosis, access to care and support, and forming social relations. Participants who applied for permanent residency in Australia rather than off-shore were usually diagnosed as HIV-positive as part of the health requirement for permanent residency. This jeopardized their prospect of staying in Australia and was at the same time a barrier to returning to the country of birth. It was also a barrier to accessing health care and support services and a major source of uncertainty. The meaning of an HIV-positive diagnosis was grounded in participants’ knowledge about HIV from their country of birth: HIV infection was perceived as a terminal illness. Because of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, many had little or no contact with their ethnic communities in Australia. At the same time, they found it difficult to form new social relations in the Anglo-Celtic mainstream culture. A further problem was feeling torn between Australia and the promise of a better future, and the close emotional relationships with family and friends in the country of birth. Conclusion. New migrants with HIV need to negotiate two major life disruptions and two major uncertainties simultaneously: migration and HIV infection. In the Anglo-Celtic mainstream, language, cultural and financial barriers to health and support services should be removed or minimized. In ethnic communities, HIV-related stigma needs to be addressed to enable new migrants to form social relations in these communities and to rebuild their lives.

Change in diet and body mass index in Taiwanese women with length of residence in Australia.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine and compare anthropometric measurements and dietary intake of Taiwanese Chinese females living in Taiwan and Australia, including any effect of length of Australian residence. Height, weight, waist and hip circumference and percent total body fat were measured and dietary intake estimated using a 7-day record. Participants were Taiwanese females without systemic disease (100 from Sydney metropolitan area, Australia, 97 from Ping-Tung County, Taiwan). Subjects in Australia had similar body mass index (weight-kg/height-m(2)) and percent total body fat but higher waist and hip circumference than those in Taiwan (22.9+/-3.0 vs. 22.8+/-3.1 kg/m(2), p >0.05; 31.4+/-5.8 vs. 31.0+/-6.2 %, p >0.05; 76.2+/-7.5 vs. 72.1+/-7.3 cm, p =0.0001; 97.3+/-6.2 vs. 93.3+/-6.2 cm, p =0.0001, respectively), significance unaffected by age adjustment. Total energy intake was higher in Australia (2367+/-574 vs. 1878+/-575 Kcal) as was the caloric adjusted intake of carbohydrate and saturated fat, measured as grams (342.8+/-91.5 vs. 264.9+/-91.0 g; 30.7+/-9.1 vs. 23.0+/-9.1 g) or as percentage of caloric adjusted intake (57.3+/-1.4 vs. 55.6+/-2.3 %; 12.1+/-0.7 vs. 11.2+/-1.1 %), all p<0.001, respectively. There was a trend for anthropometric measures to increase in subjects who had lived in Australia greater than 5 years, and they also have 14 times the odds of having a waist circumference greater than 80 cm compared to those living in Australia less than 5 years (95% CI, 1.84, 112.0). The increase in waist circumference and higher energy and saturated fat intake associated with length of residence in Australia for Taiwanese females suggests an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The re-emerging burden of rickets: a decade of experience from Sydney

Aim: To define the demographics and clinical characteristics of cases presenting with nutritional rickets to paediatric centres in Sydney, Australia. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of 126 cases seen from 1993...

After the Rush: Regulation, Participation, and Chinese Communities in Australia, 1860-1940 (review)

Reviewed by: After the Rush: Regulation, Participation, and Chinese Communities in Australia, 1860-1940 Charles A. Coppel After the Rush: Regulation, Participation, and Chinese Communities in Australia, 1860-1940. Edited by Sophie Couchman, John Fitzgerald, and Paul Macgregor. Kingsbury, Victoria: Otherland Literary Journal, 2004. vi+249 pp. Two decades ago the late Jennifer Cushman wrote that, for students of the Chinese in Southeast Asia, the literature on the Chinese in Australia seemed dated. She suggested that Australian historians were "still struggling to escape from an historiographical discourse limited by their colonial past" and had, for the most part, "not managed to relocate the Chinese experience within the Chinese community itself." In particular, they had been "less concerned with the community on its own terms, and more with Australian attitudes towards Chinese." She attributed this "imbalance" to "an historiographical preoccupation with explaining the formation of the White Australia Policy" (Cushman 1984: 100–101). Much has changed since then. Interest in the history of the Chinese in Australia has greatly increased. The new historical writing is noteworthy for its diversity of practitioners and subject matter. As Henry Chan points out in the volume under review, a tradition developed of "linking academic researchers and historians with professional historians, community based amateur or freelance historians and researchers" (p.237). This pattern was set with the conferences held at the Museum of Chinese Australian History (Chinese Museum) in Melbourne in October 1993 and at the University of Western Australia in September 1994 (Macgregor 1995; Ryan 1995). After the Rush is a collection of 17 chapters selected from papers presented at a conference held at the Chinese Museum in Melbourne in July 2000. It was held under the auspices of the Chinese Heritage of Australian Federation (CHAF) Project, a joint initiative of La Trobe University, the Chinese Museum and Shanghai's East China Normal University. The conference program and abstracts may be found on the project website <www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/>. The book is organized into three parts around major themes in Australian history after the gold rush: regulation and governance, participation in public life, and community and identity formation. An introductory chapter by Adam McKeown attempts an overview of the book and its place in the historiography of the Chinese in Australia and in the global diaspora. He makes interesting suggestions for future research, advocating a new synthetic history of Chinese in Australia that straddles local, national and transnational perspectives. One could not expect a project geared to the commemoration of Australian federation to ignore the White Australia Policy, whatever the validity of Cushman's criticism of earlier work on the history of Chinese Australians. The first substantial [End Page 299] act passed by the federal parliament was the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 which established the framework for the implementation of the policy. What does After the Rush tell us that is new about the policy and its impact on Chinese in Australia? John Hirst argues that the case for federation was not founded on the need for national control of immigration. All the Australian colonies had passed similar legislation against the entry of Chinese in 1888. Even the infamous dictation test had been introduced in some colonies in the 1890s. Anti-Chinese agitation was still important to the achievement of Australian nationhood, however. Quoting contemporary poetry, Hirst concludes that it gave "new power and cogency to the ideal of a pure, pristine, unsullied, united Australia." Kim Rubenstein elaborates on the confused state of Australian citizenship law to the present day, arguing that its vagueness was historically conditioned by the desire from the time of federation to control Chinese immigration and Chinese residents in Australia. The administration of the Immigration Restriction Act gave rise to "tens of thousands of files, photographs, documents and investigations," Michael Williams tells us, arguing that they have much more to offer historians than has hitherto been utilized. So far it is the policy files that have attracted most scholarly attention, but Williams demonstrates from the records held in Sydney the usefulness of individual files (apparently the bulk of the records) both for statistical analysis when aggregated and for Chinese Australian history when analyzed individually. The Act was...

Migration to a western country increases asthma symptoms but not eosinophilic airway inflammation.

The prevalence of asthma symptoms varies markedly throughout the world. However, the asthma mechanisms involved are not defined. Studying the effects of migration can help identify the reasons for this geographic variation. The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence of asthma symptoms, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and induced sputum eosinophils in adolescents who migrate to Australia. The study was conducted in Sydney, Australia, where adolescent students completed a video symptom questionnaire, hypertonic saline challenge, sputum induction, and allergy skin testing. The 211 students had widely different cultural backgrounds, including Asian, South Pacific, Middle Eastern, European, and African countries. Among adolescents who were migrants to Australia, the prevalence of asthma symptoms was higher than that reported using a similar methodology in their country of origin. Asthma symptom prevalence was related to residence time in Australia. The prevalence of wheeze was 17.2% in recent arrivals, 20.5% in adolescents living in Australia for >2 years, and 36.3% in those living all their lifetime in Australia (P = 0.013). For every year of residence in Australia, there was an 11% increase in prevalence of current wheeze (odds ratio, 1.11; P = 0.02). This effect was not related to atopy, AHR, or eosinophilic airway inflammation. Sputum neutrophils were elevated in recent arrivals. In conclusion, adolescents who migrate to Australia report increased asthma symptoms, compared to their country of origin, and asthma symptoms are further increased for every additional year of residence in Australia. The development of wheeze after migration to Australia was independent of eosinophilic inflammation and consistent with noneosinophilic asthma mechanisms.

Cross-cultural experiences of maternal depression: associations and contributing factors for Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino immigrant women in Victoria, Australia

Objectives. To investigate in an Australian study of immigrant women conducted 6–9 months following childbirth (a) the associations of a range of demographic, obstetric, health and social context variables with maternal depression, and (b) women's views of contributing factors in their experiences of depression.Design. Three hundred and eighteen Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino women participated in personal interviews conducted by three bicultural interviewers in the language of the women's choice. Utilising three approaches to the assessment of maternal depression, the consistency of associations on the different measures is examined. Women's views of contributing factors are compared with previous research with largely English-speaking Australian-born women.Results. Analysis of the associations of maternal depression revealed considerable consistency in associations among the three approaches to assessing depression. Significant associations with depression on at least two of the measures were seen for: mothers under 25 years, shorter residence in Australia, speaking little or no English, migrating for marriage, having no relatives in Melbourne, or no friends to confide in, physical health problems, or a baby with feeding problems. There were no consistent associations found with family income or maternal education, method of delivery and a range of other birth events, or women's views about maternity care. The issues most commonly identified by women in this study as contributing to depression are similar to those found previously for Australian-born women: isolation (in this study, including being homesick)—29%; lack of support and marital issues—25%; physical ill-health and exhaustion—23%; family problems—19%, and baby-related issues—17%. There were some differences in the importance of these among the three country-of-birth groups, but all except family issues were in the top four contributing factors mentioned by women in all groups.Conclusions. These findings support the evidence for quite marked cross-cultural similarity in the associations of maternal depression and in women's views about their experiences.

Vitamin D deficiency is common and unrecognized among recently arrived adult immigrants from The Horn of Africa.

The prevalence of and risk factors for vitamin D deficiency were examined for recent adult immigrants from East Africa living in Melbourne. Demographic data were collected via a face-to-face questionnaire and risk factors predicting deficiency were examined. Suboptimal levels <25 nmol/L were found in 61 patients (53%; 74% of women; 20% of men). Lower levels were more likely in: (i) patients with a longer duration of residence in Australia, (ii) patients who were mostly covered when outdoors and (iii) women. Routine assessment for vitamin D deficiency should be considered for male and female immigrants from East Africa.

Long-term effect of psychological trauma on the mental health of Vietnamese refugees resettled in Australia: a population-based study

What are the deleterious effects of mass trauma on the psychological wellbeing of refugees and other war-affected populations? Most epidemiological data are for short-to-medium term effects, leaving the possibility that early psychological reactions could reduce naturally over time. We aimed to assess the long-term effects of trauma on mental health and disability in Vietnamese refugees resettled in Australia. In a population-based study, we identified a community sample of 1413 adult Vietnamese from census collection areas in Sydney, Australia. Participants were interviewed by trained bilingual workers who administered questionnaires to assess the frequency of international classification of disease, version 10 (ICD-10) mental disorders in the 12 months before interview; psychiatric symptoms, by use of a culturally-sensitive symptom measure; exposure to psychologically traumatic events; disability and use of health services; and social, economic, and cultural factors since migration. We did multivariate analyses with adjustment for stressors since migration to establish the risk factors for mental illness. 1161 (82%) adults completed the interview. Mean length of residence in Australia was 11.2 years (SD 14.4) and mean time since the most severe traumatic event was 14.8 years (SD 10.8). 95 (8%) and 75 (7%) of participants had mental disorders defined by ICD-10 and the culturally-sensitive measure, respectively. Trauma exposure was the most important predictor of mental health status. Risk of mental illness fell consistently across time. However, people who had been exposed to more than three trauma events (199) had heightened risk of mental illness (23, [12%]) after 10 years compared with people with no trauma exposure (13, [3%]) (odds ratio 4.7, p<0.0001, 95% CI 2.3-9.5). Most Vietnamese refugees were free from overt mental ill health. Trauma-related mental illness seemed to reduce steadily over time, but a subgroup of people with a high degree of exposure to trauma had long-term psychiatric morbidity. Our findings support the need to develop specialised mental health services to reduce disability in refugees whose exposure to extreme trauma puts them at risk of chronic psychiatric disability.

Australia as a branch office economy

There has been a recent tendency for the location of executive leadership of companies engaged in natural resource-based production to shift from Australia to the Northern Hemisphere cities. What is the cause of this tendency?Does it matter to Australian welfare?If it matters, is there any action by Government that can weaken the tendency or reduce its negative effects? Direct regulatory intervention to prevent relocation of corporate headquarters is unlikely to increase Australian welfare. However, reforms to reduce transport and telecommunications costs and to increase the attractions of residence in Australia of people with skills that are important in executive leadership would have positive effects

The Determinants of the Geographic Concentration Among Immigrants: Application to Australia

This study develops a theoretical framework for the study of the tendency for immigrant groups to be geographically concentrated. Testing the model for Australia shows that the extent of geographic concentration of immigrant groups is negatively related to age at migration, duration of residence in Australia and the proportion of the birthplace group that is fluent in English. The extent of geographic concentration is also affected by the availability of ethnic media and the distance between the country of origin and the place of residence in Australia.

A useful kind of interaction? evaluations by university students of feedback on written assignments

Abstract In content subjects, university teachers hope that students find their comments on written assignments useful contributions to student learning of content and disciplinary writing. However, teachers often do not know what effect this form of interaction has on student readers. In this study we investigated student reactions to teacher feedback in a law subject. Data included teacher feedback written on 76 student assignments, responses by 72 students to a questionnaire about the feedback and interviews with 9 students. Responses from two groups were compared. One group (Group A) comprised students born in Australia or another English-speaking country and those born in non-English speaking countries but who had been residents in Australia for over seven years. The other group (Group B) comprised students born in non-English speaking countries and who had been resident in Australia for less than seven years. The students from both groups were most interested in specific comments on content matters and only half were interested in comments on written expression. Students from Group B were more likely than Group A students to find teacher comments useful for subsequent assignment writing. The responses from all students indicate that although they found teacher comments useful, they were not necessarily totally satisfied with the nature of the feedback.

COMPARISON OF CHINESE-AUSTRALIAN AND ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR

This study examined the environmental behavior and attitudes of Chinese-Australians, in comparison with Anglo-Australians, using a survey methodology. Two hundred and three Anglo-Australians and 98 Chinese-Australians participated. The results indicated that Chinese-Australians and Anglo-Australians differed in their environmental concern and their endorsement of New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) values. The results also suggested that, overall, environmental behavior was related to environmental concern, which was in turn related to NEP values. Among the Chinese-Australians, length of residence in Australia was positively related to environmental behavior but negatively related to environmental concern. Chinese-Australians who identified themselves as Asians or Chinese were less likely to engage in environmental behavior, compared with those who did not identify themselves with any ethnic group. Results are interpreted from within an acculturation framework.

The Relationships Between Migration, Social Support, and Social Integration on Quality of Life

AbstractPast research indicates that humans have a remarkable ability to maintain normal levels of subjective wellbeing despite adverse objective circumstances. This suggests that such wellbeing may be held under homeostatic control. This paper investigates some of the potential factors that may contribute to this homeostatic mechanism, in response to the major life event of migration. Three groups were examined: Persian immigrants to Australia (Persian-Australians), non-Persian Australians, and Persians residing in Iran. A total of 330 subjects were recruited. A notable finding was that all three groups did not differ in regard to subjective wellbeing, despite the Persian-Australians being a minority ethnic group in Australia, and the Persians having significantly lower objective life quality. The Persian-Australians who migrated at an older age reported lower subjective quality of life, while the number of years of residence in Australia did not appear to be related to the extent of social integration. Subjective life quality was, however, related to subjective social support for the Australian and Persian samples, and to reciprocality of support for the Persian-Australians.