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© 1995 Oxford University Press

research-article

Mental Health and Health Status of Elderly Bengalis and Somalis in London

ELLEN SILVEIRA and SHAH EBRAHIM

Department of Public Health, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine London NW3 2PF

*Address correspondence to Professor Shah Ebrahim

A semi-structured questionnaire on mental and physical health including a Life Satisfaction Index (LSI) and a scale of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression (SAD) was administered in appropriate languages to 75 Bengalis and 72 Somalis aged 60 years and over living in Tower Hamlets, London. Data on prevalence of health problems and disability were sought to explore the relationships between health and socio-demographic determinants of anxiety and depression and life satisfaction. Prevalence of chronic health problems was correlated with SAD scores among Somalis (r = +0.31, p = 0.01) and Bengalis (r = +0.38, p = 0.001) and LSI scores among Somalis (r = –0.25, p = 0.04) but not Bengalis (r = –0.05). Disability in activities of daily living (ADL) correlated with LSI (r = –0.29, p = 0.01) and SAD scores (r = +0.39, p = 0.001) among Bengalis but not Somalis (r = –0.11 and +0.08 respectively). Both age and chronic health problems were predictors of SAD scores among Somalis and health problems only predicted LSI scores. Among Bengalis, age and ADL disability were strong predictors of SAD scores whilst disability only predicted LSI scores. These findings emphasize the importance of aspects of physical health as determinants of psychological well-being among elderly people in different cultures. Differences observed between groups may reflect their concepts of disease, disability and well-being. A qualitative study to explore these possibilities is currently under way among Somalis and will allow further insights into the significance of these constructs.

Revision received April 24, 1995.
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