Immigrants are faced with several impediments in the host country that may affect their quality of life (QoL), but little is known about the impact of these stressors as well as about the protective role of sense of coherence (SoC) in the context of Polish immigration to Germany. Health Related QoL (Short Form Health Survey SF-36) and SoC (Sense of Coherence Scale SOC-29) were assessed in a total sample consisting of 511 participants aged between 18 and 84 years (260 Polish immigrants in Germany and 251 indigenous Poles). Polish immigrants reported a significantly lower mental and physical health-related QoL than the German norm population, but they were comparable to native Poles. This result remained the same when the model was adjusted for age but physical health status was better for immigrants compared with indigenous Poles. Both groups scored significantly lower for SoC than Germans, but did not differ from each other. The main differences concerning the examined variables were with respect to the German norm population and are putatively shaped by culture. © 2015, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.

immigrants Germany Mental health Sense of coherence Quality of life

cultural anthropology Short Form 36 Germany immigrant indigenous people mental health human Self Report middle aged sense of coherence Sense of Coherence Scale Poland controlled study German (citizen) health status comparative study social interaction Aged Pole (people) ethnology human relation quality of life Young Adult Humans migrant psychology Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female Aged, 80 and over Socioeconomic Factors very elderly socioeconomics population research scoring system Article adult Linear Models statistical model Polish citizen