The effect of age and spiritual well-being on acculturation and general heath outcomes in the Romanian immigrant population in the greater Sacramento area

In recent years, much attention has been focused on issues surrounding immigration from a psychological perspective, the problems in adaptation as a result of migration and resettlement, and the factors that influence this process. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of age and spiritual well-being to acculturation and general health outcomes. The study employed a cross-sectional design and a convenience sampling method. Data was collected from 62 Romanian immigrant adults in the greater Sacramento, California region. The instruments used to collect data were a demographic form, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. All instruments were translated into Romanian, the native language of the participants, by the researcher who is fluent in both English and Romanian.;Five hypotheses were developed: (a) Participants who immigrated at a younger age will have higher levels of acculturation, (b) Participants who immigrated at a younger age will report better general health outcomes, (c) Participants with higher levels of spiritual well-being will report better physical and psychological health, (d) Participants who will report higher levels of spiritual will also report higher levels of acculturation, and (e) Orthodox participants will present with lower levels of acculturation. Since all of the variables included in each analysis were categorical, chi-square analyses were conducted to test the research hypothesis. The results of this dissertation supported two of the hypothesis: age at immigration seems to affect the level of acculturation and spiritual well-being seems to affect physical health. The finding which did not support the hypothesis showed that there is no significant relationship between age at immigration and the level of physical and psychological health; spiritual well-being and the level of acculturation, and psychological health; and religious affiliation and the level of acculturation. This study provides additional information that may help explain Romanian immigrants' acculturation experience, spiritual well-being and general health outcomes.