Ageing as older Chinese immigrants in Europe-a qualitative systematic literature review considering perspectives from older immigrants, relatives, and professionalsShow others and affiliations
2025 (English)In: Frontiers in Public Health, E-ISSN 2296-2565, Vol. 13, article id 1492356
Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
INTRODUCTION: As the Chinese immigrant population in European countries ages, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese immigrants' ageing processes from a life course perspective by recognising the complex interactions between social, cultural, and institutional constructs and dynamics. This article aimed at exploring how older Chinese immigrants in Europe handle everyday lives in respect to ageing from the perspectives of older Chinese immigrants, their relatives, and health/social care professionals.
METHODS: The study is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023455411), and the PRISMA 2020 checklist guided the study. A qualitative systematic review was conducted through searches in the databases CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Medline/PubMed, SocINDEX, Web of Science, and pearl search in Scopus (last search 3 September, 2023). Inclusion criteria were: (1) Studies about Chinese immigrants' everyday lives, living, and ageing, or studies focusing on their use of health/social care services, (2) Perspectives of Chinese immigrants in Europe, their relatives, and related health/social care professionals, (3) Qualitative peer- reviewed studies published in English, and (4) publications from 2000-2023. The initial search retrieved 842 publications. Seventeen publications were included and analysed through a thematic analysis.
RESULTS: The results presented the included studies' characteristics and four themes: Everyday life as an older adult mirrored the life lived, Work and working conditions as significant for ageing, Cultural complexes that shape social identities, Immigrants' social position as significant for encounters with health and social care professionals.
DISCUSSION: Older Chinese immigrants' everyday lives related to ageing were not only dynamically influenced by social, interpersonal, and institutional factors accumulated in their life trajectories, but reflected the process of constructing social and cultural identity in their new homeland. Future policies should promote culturally responsive healthcare, social services, and employment support to address the unique ageing experiences of older Chinese immigrants.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATIONS: The systematic review has been registered on PROSPERO and the registration number is CRD42023455411.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers Media SA , 2025. Vol. 13, article id 1492356
Keywords [en]
Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Aging / psychology / ethnology, Emigrants and Immigrants / psychology / statistics & numerical data, Europe / ethnology, Family / psychology, Health Personnel / psychology, Qualitative Research, Chinese immigrants, ageing, everyday life, older adults, qualitative literature review
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-75642DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1492356ISI: 001471349700001PubMedID: 40260171Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105003737174OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-75642DiVA, id: diva2:1955261
2025-04-292025-04-292025-05-12Bibliographically approved