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What drives older women’s perceptions of health-related quality of life?

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Abstract

Background

Age-related differences in the way ratings of health related quality of life (HRQL) are produced are poorly understood, especially for older women.

Objective

To examine age differences in critical dimensions of HRQL among older women using structural equation modelling. We hypothesized that physical, mental and social health domains would exert weaker total effects on HRQL among older middle-aged versus much older women.

Methods

A model of HRQL was developed and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the structure of the model across two samples of community-dwelling women aged 55 years and older. The relationships between the constructs and the relative magnitude of direct and indirect effects on HRQL were evaluated in a series of path models, with women younger and older than age 70 tested separately.

Results

The CFA model of HRQL showed excellent fit in both the national and verification samples (RMSEA 0.04 and 0.02 respectively). In the path model, the total effects of physical, mental and social health on general perceptions of HRQL were greater and more significant in middle-aged versus older women (beta coefficients 0.810, 0.277, 0.266, all P < 0.05 versus, 0.700, 0.189, and 0.057, P < 0.05 for physical and mental health only respectively).

Conclusion

This HRQL model suggests different opportunities for intervention among older women to improve the outcomes along the path to HRQL.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Cara Tannenbaum

  2. Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Sara Ahmed

  3. Department of Medicine and the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Nancy Mayo

  4. Centre de Recherche de l’Institut universitaire de geriatrie de Montreal, 4565 Queen Mary Road, Suite 7824, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3W 1W5

    Cara Tannenbaum

Authors
  1. Cara Tannenbaum
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  2. Sara Ahmed
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  3. Nancy Mayo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cara Tannenbaum.

Appendix

Appendix

Appendix Covariance matrix for the indicator variables using the WOW sample (n = 2,311)
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Tannenbaum, C., Ahmed, S. & Mayo, N. What drives older women’s perceptions of health-related quality of life?. Qual Life Res 16, 593–605 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-006-9148-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-006-9148-2

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