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Predictors of health related quality of life in older people with non-communicable diseases attending three primary care clinics in Malaysia

  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

To determine the health related quality of life and its predictive factors among older people with non-communicable diseases attending primary care clinics.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Three public primary care clinics in a district in Selangor, Malaysia.

Participants

Registered patients aged 55 years and above.

Measurements

A face-to-face interview was conducted using a validated questionnaire of Medical Outcome Study 36-item short form health survey (SF-36). The outcome measure was the health related quality of life (HRQoL) and other factors measured were socio demography, physical activity, social support (Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire), and presence of non-communicable diseases.

Results

A total of 347 participants had non-communicable diseases which included hypertension (41.8%), type 2 diabetes (33.7%), asthma (4.8%), hyperlipidaemia (1.7%), coronary heart disease (1.2%), and osteoarthritis (0.2%). Age ≥ 65 years old (OR =2.23; 95%CI=1.42, 3.50), single (OR=1.75; 95%CI=1.06,2.90), presence of co-morbid condition (OR=1.66; 95%CI=1.06, 2.61), and poorer social support (OR=2.11; 95%CI=1.27, 3.51; p=0.002) were significant predictors of poorer physical component of HRQoL. In predicting lower mental health component of HRQoL, the significant predictors were women (OR=2.28; 95%CI=1.44, 3.62), Indian ethnicity (OR=1.86; 95%CI=1.08, 3.21) and poorer social support (OR=2.71; 95%CI=1.63, 4.51). No interactions existed between these predictors.

Conclusion

Older people with non-communicable diseases were susceptible to lower health related quality of life. Increasing age, single, presence of co-morbid conditions, and poorer social support were predictors of lower physical health component of HRQoL. While the older women, Indian ethnicity and poorer social support reported lower mental health component of HRQoL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    S. G. Sazlina & Ahmad Zaiton

  2. Institute of Gerontology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    S. G. Sazlina & Ahmad Zaiton

  3. Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    M. Z. Nor Afiah & K. S. Hayati

  4. Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Ahmad Zaiton

Authors
  1. S. G. Sazlina
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  2. Ahmad Zaiton
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  3. M. Z. Nor Afiah
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  4. K. S. Hayati
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Correspondence to Ahmad Zaiton.

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Sazlina, S.G., Zaiton, A., Nor Afiah, M.Z. et al. Predictors of health related quality of life in older people with non-communicable diseases attending three primary care clinics in Malaysia. J Nutr Health Aging 16, 498–502 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-012-0038-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-012-0038-8

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