Determinants of health-related quality of life in elderly in Tehran, Iran
2008

Health-related Quality of Life in Elderly Iranians

Sample size: 400 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Tajvar Maryam, Arab Mohammad, Montazeri Ali

Primary Institution: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Hypothesis

What factors determine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly people in Tehran, Iran?

Conclusion

Elderly people in Tehran, Iran, experience relatively poor health-related quality of life, especially women and those with lower education levels.

Supporting Evidence

  • Elderly women reported significantly poorer HRQoL compared to men.
  • Age, gender, education, and economic status were significant determinants of poorer physical HRQoL.
  • Elderly living with family had better HRQoL scores than those living alone.

Takeaway

This study shows that older people in Tehran are not feeling very well, especially women and those who didn't go to school much.

Methodology

Cross-sectional survey using the SF-36 questionnaire to measure HRQoL among a random sample of elderly residents in Tehran.

Potential Biases

Potential social desirability bias due to face-to-face interviews.

Limitations

The study design was cross-sectional, limiting the ability to establish cause-effect relationships, and only included non-institutionalized individuals.

Participant Demographics

{"gender_distribution":{"male":56.5,"female":43.5},"age_distribution":{"65-69":38.3,"70-74":31.5,"75-79":15.3,"80+":15.0},"education":{"illiterate":49.8,"middle_literacy":45.8,"university":4.5},"marital_status":{"married":69.8,"non_married":30.2},"economic_status":{"poor":35.8,"intermediate":52.2,"good":12.0}}

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.0001

Statistical Significance

p<0.0001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-8-323

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