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Frequency of going outdoors and health‐related quality of life among older adults: Examining the moderating role of living alone and employment status
Author(s) -
Harada Kazuhiro,
Masumoto Kouhei,
Katagiri Keiko,
Fukuzawa Ai,
Chogahara Makoto,
Kondo Narihiko,
Okada Shuichi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.13222
Subject(s) - confounding , mental health , medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , gerontology , activities of daily living , psychiatry , pathology , nursing
Aim Going outdoors more frequently is beneficial for maintaining and improving health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among older adults. However, individual differences can alter the effects of going outdoors. The present study aimed to examine whether relationships between going outdoors and HRQOL were moderated by living alone and employment status. Methods The present study was a secondary analysis of 14‐month prospective data ( n = 613). Variables used in this study were baseline data on the frequency of going outdoors, HRQOL (physical and mental component summary scores assessed using the Japanese version of the Medical Outcomes study Short Form 8‐Item Health Survey), living alone, employment status, potential confounders (sex, age, educational level and instrumental activities of daily living) and follow‐up data on HRQOL. Results Mixed models showed that the interaction term of going outdoors and currently living alone on both the physical and mental component summary and that of going outdoors and current employment status on the mental component were significant. Stratified analyses showed that going outdoors more frequently predicted the physical and mental component summary among those who lived with others, and the mental component summary among those who were unemployed. Conclusions These results show that the influence of going outdoors on HRQOL was moderated by living alone and employment status. Going outdoors more frequently might be important for the maintenance of HRQOL, especially among unemployed older adults living with others. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 640–647 .