Everyday well-being in connection with health in immigrant families with children--a study on the everyday life of families with Russian background in Finland

The study discusses the everyday well-being and health in families with children with Russian background in Finland from the presumption that the everyday well-being is reflective of how families express their satisfaction with their current life situation. The focus is on immigrants and how they experience Finnish society and their everyday life in Finland. Everyday well-being is analysed from the perspective of families with children: How do Finnish families with Russian background experience their everyday well-being and its connection to health? Five hundred (500) structured questionnaires were sent to families in spring 2007 in Finland and 207 replies (42 %) were received. These results show that approximately 2 out of 3 respondents are quite satisfied, satisfied or very satisfied with they everyday well-being in Finland. The results show that immigrant families with children with Russian background in Finland are in an unequal position, some of them are better off than others. A prolonged difficult situation may reinforce long term inequality between immigrant families. Polarisation among respondents seems to be connected to gender and life situation with small children.