Journal article
Domains of importance to the quality of life of older people from two Swiss regions.
- Henchoz Y University of Lausanne Hospital Centre, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Meylan L University of Lausanne Hospital Centre, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Goy R Pro Senectute Canton Vaud, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Guessous I University of Lausanne Hospital Centre, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland Unit of Population Epidemiology, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Bula C Service of Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, University of Lausanne Hospital Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Demont M Pro Senectute Canton Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Rodondi N Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Santos-Eggimann B University of Lausanne Hospital Centre, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- 2015-09-26
Published in:
- Age and ageing. - 2015
importance
older people
population characteristics
quality of life
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cohort Studies
Female
Health Status
Humans
Independent Living
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Personal Autonomy
Principal Component Analysis
Quality of Life
Safety
Self Concept
Socioeconomic Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Switzerland
English
BACKGROUND
Quality of life (QoL) is a subjective perception whose components may vary in importance between individuals. Little is known about which domains of QoL older people deem most important.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated in community-dwelling older people the relationships between the importance given to domains defining their QoL and socioeconomic, demographic and health status.
METHODS
Data were compiled from older people enrolled in the Lc65+ cohort study and two additional, population-based, stratified random samples (n = 5,300). Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to determine the underlying domains among 28 items that participants defined as important to their QoL. The components extracted were used as dependent variables in multiple linear regression models to explore their associations with socioeconomic, demographic and health status.
RESULTS
PCA identified seven domains that older persons considered important to their QoL. In order of importance (highest to lowest): feeling of safety, health and mobility, autonomy, close entourage, material resources, esteem and recognition, and social and cultural life. A total of six and five domains of importance were significantly associated with education and depressive symptoms, respectively. The importance of material resources was significantly associated with a good financial situation (β = 0.16, P = 0.011), as was close entourage with living with others (β = 0.20, P = 0.007) and as was health and mobility with age (β = -0.16, P = 0.014).
CONCLUSION
The importance older people give to domains of their QoL appears strongly related to their actual resources and experienced losses. These findings may help clinicians, researchers and policy makers better adapt strategies to individuals' needs.
Quality of life (QoL) is a subjective perception whose components may vary in importance between individuals. Little is known about which domains of QoL older people deem most important.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated in community-dwelling older people the relationships between the importance given to domains defining their QoL and socioeconomic, demographic and health status.
METHODS
Data were compiled from older people enrolled in the Lc65+ cohort study and two additional, population-based, stratified random samples (n = 5,300). Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to determine the underlying domains among 28 items that participants defined as important to their QoL. The components extracted were used as dependent variables in multiple linear regression models to explore their associations with socioeconomic, demographic and health status.
RESULTS
PCA identified seven domains that older persons considered important to their QoL. In order of importance (highest to lowest): feeling of safety, health and mobility, autonomy, close entourage, material resources, esteem and recognition, and social and cultural life. A total of six and five domains of importance were significantly associated with education and depressive symptoms, respectively. The importance of material resources was significantly associated with a good financial situation (β = 0.16, P = 0.011), as was close entourage with living with others (β = 0.20, P = 0.007) and as was health and mobility with age (β = -0.16, P = 0.014).
CONCLUSION
The importance older people give to domains of their QoL appears strongly related to their actual resources and experienced losses. These findings may help clinicians, researchers and policy makers better adapt strategies to individuals' needs.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- bronze
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1093/ageing/afv130
- PMID 26404612
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.rero.ch/global/documents/166961
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