Functional limitations and life satisfaction dynamics among Asian-born migrants and Australian-born participants in the HILDA study

Objective To investigate functional limitations and life satisfaction among Asian-born migrants and Australian-born participants in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) study. Methods Information on 10 167 Australian-born participants and 650 Asian-born migrants from Waves 6 to 16 (2006-2016) of HILDA was analysed using multivariate linear regressions, adjusting for baseline covariates. Results Middle-aged and older Asian-born migrants had a lower decline in functional limitations compared to the Australian-born participants (-1.74 vs -4.47 during the 5-year period and -5.66 vs -8.50 during the 10-year period). Decline in life satisfaction scores was relatively stable among older Australian-born participants, but there was a steeper decline among Asian-born migrants in the 5-year period. Notably, relative change was not statistically significant for both outcomes. Conclusion This study reveals that middle-aged and older Asian-born migrants had less decline in physical health but not in life satisfaction. Monitoring health and well-being of migrants as they age could help to minimise health disparities in Australia.