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Health‐Related Quality of Life by Socioeconomic Factors and Health‐Related Behaviors of the Elderly in Rural Area
Author(s) -
CHOE JEONGSOOK,
KWON Sungok
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.678.8
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , gerontology , body mass index , mental health , rural area , demography , environmental health , population , psychiatry , nursing , pathology , sociology
Objectives: This study was to identify socioeconomic factors and health‐related behaviors influencing on HRQOL (health‐related quality of life) for the older adults in rural area. Methods: 483 subjects aged over 65 years responded a direct interview, which covered HRQOL, BMI(Body Mass Index), socioeconomic characteristics, and health‐related behaviors including smoking, drinking, and exercise. Results: The mean healthy days were 15.1 days/month and not significantly different by sex. Men didn't show a significant difference in HRQOL by age group. But women reported lower levels of healthy days and higher levels of activity limitation and physical unhealthy days with increasing age. Results from ANCOVA showed HRQOL to be significantly associated with education, job, and family type. Men presented no significant difference in HRQOL by health‐related behaviors, but women who have been drinking, or have less number of chronic diseases reported higher mean healthy days and lower activity limitation days, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days. Older adults who reported good to excellent self‐rated health were higher healthy days and lower activity limitation, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days than those who reported fair to poor health status. Conclusions: The HRQOL for the older adults in rural area was related to socioeconomic characteristics, health‐related behaviors and self‐rated health status. A better understanding of factors related to HRQOL would help to improve the older adults' quality of life.