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Quality of Life for 19,114 participants in the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) study and their association with sociodemographic and modifiable lifestyle risk factors

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Abstract

Purpose

To explore the relationship between sociodemographic and lifestyle variables with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of a large cohort of ‘healthy’ older individuals.

Methods

The sample included individuals aged 65+ years from Australia (N = 16,703) and the USA (N = 2411) enrolled in the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) multicentre placebo-controlled trial study and free of cardiovascular disease, dementia, serious physical disabilities or ‘fatal’ illnesses. The associations with the physical (PCS) and mental component scores (MCS) of HRQoL (SF-12 questionnaire) were explored using multiple linear regression models from data collected at baseline (2010–2014).

Results

The adjusted PCS mean was slightly higher in the USA (49.5 ± 9.1) than Australia (48.2 ± 11.6; p < 0.001), but MCS was similar in both samples (55.7 ± 7.5 and 55.7 ± 9.6, respectively; p = 0.603). Males, younger participants, better educated, more active individuals, or those currently drinking 1–2 alcoholic drinks/day showed a better HRQoL (results more evident for PCS than MCS), while current heavy smokers had the lowest physical HRQoL in both countries. Neither age, walking time, nor alcohol intake was associated with MCS in either cohort.

Conclusions

Baseline HRQoL of ASPREE participants was higher than that reported in population-based studies of older individuals, but the associations between sociodemographic and lifestyle variables were consistent with the published literature. As the cohort ages and develops chronic diseases, ASPREE will be able to document HRQoL changes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr Jodie Avery for her support in the interpretation of the results and review of this manuscript. We acknowledge the dedicated and skilled staff in Australia and the USA for the conduct of the trial. The authors also are most grateful to the ASPREE participants, who so willingly volunteered for this study, and the general practitioners and medical clinics who support the participants in the ASPREE study. We also appreciate the support of the collaborating/supporting organisations listed on http://www.aspree.org.

Funding

The work was mainly supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (grant number U01AG029824), the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (grant numbers 334047 and 1127060), Monash University, and the Victorian Cancer Agency. Other funding resources and collaborating organisations of the ASPREE study are listed on http://www.aspree.org.

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Correspondence to Nigel P. Stocks.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

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

Research involving human participants

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki 1964 as revised in 2008, the NHMRC Guidelines on Human Experimentation, the federal patient privacy (HIPAA) law and ICH-GCP guidelines and the International Conference of Harmonisation Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice. We also follow the Code of Federal Regulations as it relates to areas of clinical research. Multiple Institutional Review Board approvals were obtained in Australia and the USA.

Additional information

ASPREE Investigator Group listed on www.aspree.org.

Electronic supplementary material

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Online Resource 1 (DOCX 18 KB)

11136_2018_2040_MOESM2_ESM.tif

Online Resource 2 Physical and Mental component summary scores of health-related quality of life among individuals ≥ 65 years in Australia (N=16,703) and the United States (N = 2,411). ASPREE study, baseline (2010–2014) (TIF 835 KB)

11136_2018_2040_MOESM3_ESM.tif

Online Resource 3 Scatter plot of the relationship between age and the Physical (Fig. 2a) and Mental (Fig. 2b) component summary scores of health-related quality of life among individuals ≥ 65 years in Australia (N = 16,703) and the United States (N = 2411). ASPREE study, baseline (2010–2014). (TIF 2004 KB)

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Online Resource 5 (DOCX 17 KB)

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Stocks, N.P., González-Chica, D.A., Woods, R.L. et al. Quality of Life for 19,114 participants in the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) study and their association with sociodemographic and modifiable lifestyle risk factors. Qual Life Res 28, 935–946 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-2040-z

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