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Correlates of health-related quality of life in young-old and old–old community-dwelling older adults

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed (1) to examine the role of potential correlates of HRQoL in a large representative sample of older adults, and (2) to investigate whether the relationships between HRQoL and potential factors differ as a function of HRQoL component (physical vs. mental) and/or age cohort (young-old vs. old–old).

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 802 older adults aged 60–79 years old. HRQoL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. Functional fitness was assessed using the Senior Fitness Test. Physical activity was measured via the Baecke questionnaire. Demographic information, mental and health features were obtained through questionnaires.

Results

A multiple regression analysis showed that BMI (β = −0.15, p = 0.001), body strength (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), aerobic endurance (β = 0.29, p < 0.001), physical activity (β = 0.11, p = 0.007), depressive symptoms (β = −0.19, p < 0.001), falls (β = −0.19, p < 0.001), and living alone (β = −0.16, p < 0.001) were all significantly related to HRQoL-SF-36 total score. The positive relation with aerobic endurance was significantly higher for the physical component of HRQoL, while the negative relation with living alone was significantly higher for the mental component. The positive relation of HRQoL with physical activity was significantly higher in old–old compared to young-old adults.

Conclusion

This data suggest that body composition, functional fitness, psycho-social factors, and falls are important correlates of HRQoL in old age. There are HRQoL-component and age-cohort differences regarding these correlates, underlying the need for specific strategies at the community level to promote HRQoL in older adults.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Ercília Fena, Joana Castro and Letícia Sousa for technical assistance in the data collection and management. We are especially grateful to the older people who took part in this study for their participation and interest. Finally, we are also grateful for the support from the LIVES Winter School 2016.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira, Campus Universitário da Penteada, 9000-390, Funchal, Portugal

    Élvio R. Quintal Gouveia & Duarte L. Freitas

  2. Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Élvio R. Quintal Gouveia, Bruna R. Gouveia, Andreas Ihle & Matthias Kliegel

  3. Saint Joseph of Cluny Higher School of Nursing, Funchal, Portugal

    Bruna R. Gouveia

  4. Swiss National Center of Competences in Research LIVES-Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Geneva, Switzerland

    Andreas Ihle & Matthias Kliegel

  5. Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Andreas Ihle & Matthias Kliegel

  6. CIFI2D, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    José A. Maia

  7. Exact Sciences and Engineering Faculty and Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal

    Sergi Bermudez i Badia

  8. Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK

    Duarte L. Freitas

Authors
  1. Élvio R. Quintal Gouveia
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  2. Bruna R. Gouveia
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  3. Andreas Ihle
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  4. Matthias Kliegel
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  7. Duarte L. Freitas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Élvio R. Quintal Gouveia.

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Funding

This study was supported by a doctoral degree grant from the Portuguese National funding agency for science, research and technology (Reference: SFRH/BD/29300/2006). Technical assistance in collection of the data was supported by Madeira Regional Government and Regional Secretary of Education and Culture. Matthias Kliegel acknowledges the support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). This study was also sponsored by Iberdata Equipment’s S.A.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of an institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Gouveia, É.R.Q., Gouveia, B.R., Ihle, A. et al. Correlates of health-related quality of life in young-old and old–old community-dwelling older adults. Qual Life Res 26, 1561–1569 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1502-z

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