Self-Perceived Health, Objective Health, and Quality of Life among People Aged 50 and Over: Interrelationship among Health Indicators in Italy, Spain, and Greece

It is well known that self-perceived health (SPH), even if it is a subjective health indicator, is significantly associated with objective health and quality of life (QoL) in the general population. Whether it can be considered an indicator of cognitive functioning and quality of life in the elderly is still an open issue. This study used a data-driven approach to investigate the interrelationship among SPH, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), QoL, and cognitive functioning to answer this question. The study sample included information about 12,831 people living in Italy, Spain, and Greece, extracted from the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe, in the year 2015. The additive Bayesian networks methodology was used to identify the best directed acyclic graphs (DAG) for SPH, QoL, and NCDs. Results were given as posterior estimates of generalized linear models (GLM) coefficients, with 95% credibility intervals. Good SPH was associated with a decreasing number of chronic diseases in Italy (coeff = −0.52, 95%CI: [−0.59, −0.44]), Spain (coeff = −0.53, 95%CI: [−0.60, −0.46]) and Greece (coeff = −0.57, 95%CI: [−0.64, −0.50]). Age and Body Mass Index were determinants of NCDs in all countries. QoL of elderly was associated with SPH in Italy (coeff = 0.12, 95%CI: [0.10, 0.14]), Spain (coeff = 0.16, 95%CI: [0.15, 0.18]), and Greece (coeff = 0.18, 95%CI: [0.16, 0.20]). The number of NCDs was higher for people who were not employed in Spain (coeff = 0.45, 95%CI: [0.37, 0.53]) and was decreasing for a unitary increase in years of education in Greece (coeff = −0.12, 95%CI: [−0.14, −0.09]). As a general rule, the framework of the interrelationship among NCDs, SPH, and QoL was similar for Italy, Spain, and Greece. The connections found among indicators could be proposed to identify strategies for health promotion and healthy aging among people aged 50 and above, which are viable in general and at a country level. Reinforcing strategies targeted at some health indicators could have relevant effects on other related indicators.

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The paradox of aging and health-related quality of life in Asian Chinese: results from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-020-1446-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Han-Yun Tseng ◽

Corinna Löckenhoff ◽

Chun-Yi Lee ◽

Shu-Han Yu ◽

I-Chien Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Health ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Mental Function ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Objective Health ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Age Patterns

Abstract Background Declines in health, physical, cognitive, and mental function with age suggest a lower level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in late life; however, previous studies found that the associations were weak and varied, depending on the study designs and cohort characteristics. Methods The present study examined the paradox of aging in an East Asian context by regressing the age patterns of objective health indicators (physical, cognitive, and mental function), and subjective HRQoL (12-item Short Form, SF-12), on the independent and interactive effects of age and physical function in a cohort study of 5022 community-dwelling adults aged 55 and older in Taiwan. Results Age patterns differed across measures. The SF-12 mental health score (MCS) showed a slight positive association with age and this effect remained stable after controlling for various age-related covariates. The SF-12 physical health score (PCS), in turn, was negatively associated with age. Age differences in PCS were fully explained by age decrements in objective physical health. However, consistent with the so-called paradox of aging, the association between objective and subjective physical health weakened with age. Conclusion These findings add to prior evidence indicating that — in spite of objective health decrements — subjective HRQoL is maintained in later life among Asian Chinese. Also, these paradoxical patterns appear to vary for mental and physical components of HRQoL, and future research is needed to explore the underlying mechanism. Trial registration Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST) is retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on January 24, 2016 with trial registration number NCT02677831.

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Determinants of Subjective Health, Happiness, and Life Satisfaction among Young Adults (18-24 Years) in Guyana

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/9063808 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Chao Wang ◽

Jiaxuan Liu ◽

Run Pu ◽

Zhifei Li ◽

Wei Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Young Adult ◽

Adult Population ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Subjective Health ◽

Life Situation ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Young Adult Population

Abstract. Persistent urban-rural disparity in subjective health and quality of life is a growing concern for healthcare systems across the world. In general, urban population performs better on most health indicators compared with their rural counterparts. However, research evidence on the urban-rural disparity on perceived health, happiness, and quality of life among the young adult population is scarce in South American countries like Guyana. Therefore, in the present study we aimed to investigate whether subjective health, happiness, and quality of life differ according to place of residence among the young adult population in Guyana. Methods. Cross-sectional data on 2,434 men and women aging between 15 and 24 years were collected from the most recent Guyana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted in 2014. Outcome variables were perceived: satisfaction about health, life, and happiness, as well as life satisfaction before and after one year from the time of the survey. The urban-rural disparity in reporting satisfaction for these indicators was assessed by multivariate regression methods and by adjusting for relevant sociodemographic factors. Results. More than four-fifth of the respondents reported satisfaction with health (82.4%) and life (81.4%) and 77.9% reported being happy. A vast majority expressed improvement in life situation compared with a year ago (81.4%), and nearly all of the participants (95.4%) expect to have better life situation a year later. Multivariate analysis revealed an inverse association between rural residence and subjective health among men [OR = 0.518, 95%CI = 0.297, 0.901], and happiness [OR = 0.662, 95%CI = 0.381, 0.845] and life satisfaction [OR = 3.722, 95%CI = 1.502, 9.227] among women. Women having secondary [OR = 2.219, 95%CI = 1.209, 3.720] and higher [OR = 1.600, 95%CI = 1.041, 3.302] education also had higher odds of satisfaction with happiness. Conclusions. Our findings demonstrate the existence of significant urban–rural disparities in perceived health and quality of life among the young adult population in Guyana, especially among women. National health promotion projects should therefore take proper policy actions to address the underlying factors contributing to the urban–rural gaps in order to establish a more equitable healthcare system. Further researches are necessary to explore the underlying causes behind such disparities.

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New Findings on Health, Quality of Life of U.S. Seniors Released: Surveillance for Selected Public Health Indicators Affecting Older Adults--United States

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e371172004-001 ◽

1999 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

United States ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Indicators ◽

New Findings ◽

Public Health Indicators ◽

Health Quality ◽

Health Quality Of Life

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Is the glass half-empty or half-full? The role of optimism in protective health behaviors and perceived health-related quality of life in a Colombian sample

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e546872013-237 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Susana C. Barradas ◽

Carolyn Finck ◽

Diana Agudelo

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

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Relation of Leisure Time, Occupational, Transport Physical Activity, and Inactivity Behavior to Stress, Subjective Health and Health-related Quality of Life

Korean Journal of Sport Studies ◽

10.23949/kjpe.2018.03.57.2.23 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 331-344 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

given-names Park

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Leisure Time ◽

Subjective Health ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

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Quality of life and perceived health status in surviving adults with univentricular heart

Heart ◽

10.1136/hrt.86.1.69 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 86 (1) ◽

pp. 69-73

Author(s):

Z Saliba ◽

G Butera ◽

D Bonnet ◽

P Bonhoeffer ◽

E Villain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Normal Population ◽

Psychosocial Problems ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Univentricular Heart ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Clinical Variables ◽

Health Measures ◽

The Impact

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the quality of life in patients with univentricular heart and to determine the impact of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.DESIGN AND SETTINGRetrospective, cross sectional study conducted in a regional paediatric cardiology centre.PATIENTSThe health records of 89 survivors with univentricular heart (median age 21 years; range 17–49 years) were reviewed. Sixty seven answered the Duke questionnaire. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were similar in the responders and non-responders. The impact of sociodemographic and clinical variables on individual Duke's measures was assessed.RESULTSThe Duke scores of adults with univentricular heart were similar to the normal population. Cyanosis predicted a worse score for physical (p = 0.05) and perceived health measures (p = 0.02). A higher educational level predicted a better score for physical (p = 0.004), mental (p = 0.01), and general health measures (p = 0.02). Orthopaedic problems worsened the social score (p = 0.05). Psychosocial problems worsened the pain score (p = 0.04). In comparison with the other anatomical types, mitral atresia worsened the perceived health score (p = 0.02). Patients younger than 23 years scored better for almost all health and dysfunction measures.CONCLUSIONSDespite repeated interventions and other disease related everyday stresses, a selected group of adults with univentricular heart had a satisfying quality of life.

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Factors Affecting Health-Related Quality of Life in Multimorbidity

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9030334 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 334

Author(s):

Eunmi Lee ◽

Sunkyung Cha ◽

Geun Myun Kim

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Private Insurance ◽

Subjective Health ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Medical Needs ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Unmet Medical Needs

We investigated the effect of predisposing, enabling, need factors, and health behaviors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with multimorbidity according to Andersen’s model. This study is a secondary analysis of population-based cross-sectional surveys. Data from 328 patients with multimorbidity (≥3 co-occurring chronic diseases) from the 6th/7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed using logistic regression. Patients ≥65 years, without private insurance, with poor subjective health, unmet medical needs, and/or limited activity were more likely to experience mobility problems. Self-care problems were more likely among those without private insurance and/or with limited activity. Patients lacking living security, with poor subjective health, limited activity, and/or who smoked were more likely to experience problems performing usual activities. Pain/discomfort was more likely among females, Medicaid beneficiaries, and patients with limited activity and/or with poor subjective health. Patients with poor subjective health, limited activity, and/or unmet medical needs were more likely to experience anxiety/depression. The investigation of HRQoL in multimorbidity should consider predisposing, enabling, need factors, and health behaviors. Interventions addressing movement restrictions and personalized care based on HRQoL domains should be prioritized.

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Relationship between Active Aging and Quality of Life in Middle-Aged and Older Koreans: Analysis of the 2013–2018 KNHANES

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9020240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 240

Author(s):

MiJung Eum ◽

HyungSeon Kim

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Old Age ◽

Subjective Health ◽

Active Aging ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Subjective Health Status ◽

Healthcare Needs ◽

Unmet Healthcare Needs ◽

Health Factors

With the increase in the aging population worldwide, social interest in having a vibrant and valuable old age has been increasing with changes in the perspectives on old age. This study aimed to determine the relationship between active aging and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in middle-aged and older Korean using national data. The subjects were 14,117 adults aged ≥55 years. HRQOL was evaluated using the EuroQol–5 Dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire, and active aging was defined based on the health factors, participation factors, and security factors. The average EQ-5D score was 91.04 ± 0.143. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis sequentially inputting the health, participation, and security factors showed that health factors had the strongest influence on HRQOL (F = 216.656, p < 0.001). In the final model, which included all variables, activity limit (B = −10.477, p < 0.001) and subjective health status (B = −7.282, p < 0.001) were closely related to the HRQOL. In addition, economic activity, income level, home ownership, private health insurance, and unmet healthcare needs were associated with HRQOL. The R2 of the model was 38.2%. To improve the HRQOL of middle-aged and older people, it is necessary to consider active aging factors. Furthermore, follow-up studies using various indicators reflecting active aging should be conducted.

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