A Sociological Analysis of the Quality of Life of Afghan Immigrants Living in Isfahan

Despite the attention given to the quality of life and well-being of the general population, relatively little focus has been placed on the quality of life of refugees and immigrants. This lack of attention stems from the fact that enhancing one's quality of life is one of the main motivations for migration. Immigrants often encounter new and discriminatory social and economic circumstances, including marginalization, minority status, socio-economic disadvantages, loss of social support, psychological distress, and difficulties in assimilating to the host culture. These factors have a profound impact on the well-being and quality of life of immigrants. In general, the quality of life experienced by immigrants is influenced by a combination of factors, some of which are specific to the individual immigrants themselves, such as their education, job skills, and mental and physical health, and others that are related to the host society, such as its cultural and economic conditions and policies towards immigrants. The interaction between these individual and societal aspects significantly shapes the quality of life of immigrants. Despite numerous studies conducted on the migration of Afghans to Iran, which have encompassed various aspects, such as identity, security, demographics, employment, mental health, women's status, quality of urban life, residential patterns, economic impacts, societal integration barriers, social distance, and social networks, there remains a dearth of research on the quality of life experienced by Afghan immigrants in Iran. The findings from several conducted research studies are still inconsistent. Despite the fact that Afghan immigrants have been living in Isfahan for a long time and that this province has got the third rank in terms of accepting Afghan immigrants, there has been no independent research conducted to assess their quality of life. This is significant considering the various consequences it can have on both the immigrants and the host society. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of Afghan immigrants in Isfahan, including its various dimensions. Additionally, the study aimed to identify and analyze the social factors that can have an impact on life quality, while trying to understand their influencing mechanisms.

The current research utilized descriptive-analytical and field survey approaches. The statistical population for this study consisted of Afghan immigrants aged 18 years and above, who were residing in Isfahan City. According to the population census of 2015 conducted by the Iran Statistics Center, there were a total of 1,831,224 Afghan nationals in Isfahan Province and 88,866 in Isfahan City (Statistics Center of Iran, 2015). Due to the logistical challenges and inability to reach all individuals across various cities, the research was confined to Isfahan City, particularly Zainabiyah Region, where the largest concentration of Afghan immigrants was found. The sample size was determined to be 330 individuals by using SPSS Sample Power software. After a thorough review and elimination of incomplete questionnaires, the total number of 321 completed questionnaires was selected for analysis.
For measurement of a variable, the World Health Organization's short scale consisting of 26 items was utilized. This scale encompassed 4 dimensions: physical health (7 items), mental health (5 items), social relations (6 items), and environmental health (8 items). The general questions were made regarding health status and quality of life. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for this variable was determined to be 0.84. To assess religiosity, 17 items were employed and categorized into 4 dimensions: belief (4 items), rituals (6 items), emotion (4 items), and consequences (3 items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for this variable was estimated to be 0.86. The research items adopted by William et al. (1997) were employed to quantify the perception of discrimination. This 8-item scale has been extensively utilized in various countries to assess the perception of discrimination of immigrant groups. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for this variable was approximated at 0.85. To measure this variable, the "short scale of social integration" (Holland and Grühn, 2018) was utilized. This variable comprised 12 items, which were categorized into 4 dimensions: social support, social satisfaction, social participation, and instrumental support. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for this variable was estimated at 0.72.

According to the current research findings, it could be concluded that the majority of immigrants in Isfahan City had an average to high rate of quality of life, including psychological, social, environmental, and overall quality of life aspects with an average score of 3.35. More than 60% of the immigrants expressed satisfaction with their quality of life. The immigrants' satisfaction could be attributed to their modest expectations and the presence of cultural, religious, and linguistic similarities with Iranians. This had resulted in their satisfaction with living conditions in Iran, leading to a lack of desire to return to their home country. Furthermore, the respondents' overall assessment of quality of life supported the aforementioned assertion.
The findings of the present study aligned with those of other studies mentioned in the relevant literature, e.g., those of van der Boor et al. (2020) and Correa-Velez (2020), regarding social integration. Social integration generally leads to increased participation, solidarity, and creation of social capital, which positively impact immigrants’ quality of life and well-being. Engaging in social activities and taking social responsibility are crucial for achieving psychological and social balances. Trust and mutual respect play essential roles in building relationships. Various factors, including work environment, contribute to establishing these relationships. Work environment is particularly important for the immigrant community. Work relationships facilitate the integration process of immigrants into the host society as they shape immigrants’ "self and identity" within the community and provide opportunities for their social interactions. Additionally, due to religious similarities and homogeneity between Afghan immigrants and the people in our country, religion may influence social integration.
Religiosity was found to have a direct impact on the immigrants’ quality of life and an indirect effect through enhancing their social integration with the host society. Given that the majority of Afghan immigrants residing in Iran were Shiites, their religious similarity could facilitate their assimilation into the host society. This finding is in line with that of the research conducted by Sigert (2020). Additionally, Powell et al. (2000) indicated that engaging in religious organizations can enhance self-confidence and alleviate feelings of isolation and despair. Religiosity promotes the accumulation of social capital through participation in various religious rituals and possessing higher social capital is associated with an improved quality of life.
Perception of discrimination hinders social integration and detrimentally impacts the quality of life. Immigrants' perception of discrimination directly decreases their quality of life and impedes social integration. Social integration, in turn, reduces social division between immigrants and the receiving society. Discrimination against refugees comprises two dimensions: institutional discrimination enforced by the government and host society and non-institutional or social discrimination enforced by the broader society. In general, discriminatory actions and behaviors by governments or individuals, as well as the mental experience and perception of discrimination among immigrants, have a detrimental impact on their quality of life. The findings of this study revealed that the perception of discrimination indirectly diminished the quality of life for immigrants by hindering their social integration into the host society. Other studies have also demonstrated a significant negative correlation between the perception of discrimination and the related concepts of quality of life, such as well-being and contentment (e.g., Zhang et al., 2009; Kuppens & van den Broek, 2022; Bender et al., 2022). However, contrary to the theoretical model adopted by some previous research (e.g., Bender et al., 2022), no significant relationship between religiosity and perception of discrimination was discovered in the current study.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the Afghan immigrant population in Iran, further investigations should be conducted from various perspectives. Specifically, it is recommended to carry out intergenerational studies to assess the quality of life and determine the levels of satisfaction among the first, second, and third generations of Afghan immigrants in Iran. Additionally, qualitative studies focusing on the quality of life experienced by Afghan immigrants will be beneficial.