Predictors of Quality of Life for Pakistani Americans

Abstract

A structural equation model with four latent variables was configured to predict Perceived Quality of Life on the part of Pakistani Americans. Based on one of the components of the Multicultural Assessment- Intervention Process (MAIP) model, Ethnic Identity was used as a predictor with Gender Role Attitudes and Muslim Religiosity hypothesized as independent mediators. A convenience sample of 351 Pakistani American adults provided the data upon which the structural model was built. Results indicated that in isolation greater levels of Ethnic Identity predicted a higher Perceived Quality of Life but, when taken into account, the latent variables of Gender Role and Muslim Religiosity each partially mediated the influence of Ethnic Identity on Quality of Life. Implications for future Pakistani American research were discussed. The present study explored Pakistani Americans’ quality of life perceptions through the development of a structural equation model with ethnic identity as a predictor and gender role attitudes and Muslim religiosity as separate mediators of this relationship. Determining the critical predictive constituents of Pakistani American quality of life attitudes should help to foster more effective behavioral health service delivery and interventions to this often neglected and stereotyped Southeast Asian population (Fair, 2012; Jibeen, Qureshi & review in triangulating salient facets of Pakistani American quality of life perceptions. These results suggest that future Pakistani American quality of life research could be facilitated by utilizing some of the framework