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Which aspects of subjectively reported quality of life are important in predicting mortality beyond known risk factors? The Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 Study

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate which aspects of Quality of Life (QoL) (physical health, psychological, social-relationships, and environment) are important in predicting mortality.

Methods

A sample of 448 (194 men and 254 women) relatively healthy older adults reported their QoL using the WHOQOL-BREF. After a 9-year follow-up, survival analysis was carried out using Cox’s proportional hazards regression.

Results

Only the General Health item (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.64–0.89) and Physical Health Domain mean score (HR = 0.90, 95% CI: 86–0.95) significantly predicted mortality when controlling for age and sex. The single-item General Health measure was the stronger predictor of mortality and remained significant after socio-demographic, psychological (personality and cognition), health behaviour and health status measures were controlled for independently. When all measures were simultaneously controlled for, none of the items or domains on the WHOQOL-BREF significantly predicted mortality.

Conclusion

Items addressing health-related QoL are the most important when predicting mortality. The findings support research demonstrating that subjectively rated, single-item general health questions accurately predict survival over and above socio-demographic, psychological, health behaviour and health status measures.

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Abbreviations

WHOQOL-BREF:

Brief version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Questionnaire

WHO:

World Health Organisation

QoL:

Quality of life

HR:

Hazard ratio

HRQoL:

Health-related quality of life

LBC1921:

Lothian Birth Cohort 1921

GROS:

General Register Office for Scotland

CI:

Confidence interval

NEO-FFI:

NEO-Five Factor Inventory

IPIP:

International Personality Item Pool

SMS1932:

Scottish Mental Survey 1932

MHT:

Moray House Test

WTCRF:

Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility

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Acknowledgments

Wave one of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 Study (1999–2001) was funded by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grant (BBSRC). Funding for the Self-Reported Quality of Life Questionnaires (2001) and later follow-up waves came from the Chief Scientist’s Office (part of the Scottish Government Health Directorates). The current analysis was undertaken by The University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, part of the cross council Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Initiative; this is funded by BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC and MRC. We thank Alison Pattie, Martha Whiteman, Alan Gow and Beverley Roberts for data collection and collation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK

    Catherine Murray, Caroline E. Brett & Ian J. Deary

  2. Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK

    John M. Starr & Ian J. Deary

  3. The Geriatric Medicine Unit, Royal Victoria Hospital, Craigleith Road, Edinburgh, RH4 2DN, UK

    John M. Starr

Authors
  1. Catherine Murray
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  2. Caroline E. Brett
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  4. Ian J. Deary
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Correspondence to Ian J. Deary.

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Murray, C., Brett, C.E., Starr, J.M. et al. Which aspects of subjectively reported quality of life are important in predicting mortality beyond known risk factors? The Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 Study. Qual Life Res 20, 81–90 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9718-1

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