Quality of Life of Retirees in a Rural Area: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Modified WHOQOL-BREF

Population aging is an increasingly important public health and social challenge, particularly in rural communities where access to health and social services may be limited. This study aimed to assess the quality of life of retirees in the municipality of Ravna Gora, Croatia, and to examine differences and associations according to sex, self-reported health status, and subjective ageMethods: This cross-sectional study included 156 retirees (89 women and 67 men) aged 55–95 years living in the rural municipality of Ravna Gora, Croatia. Data were collected between November 2025 and February 2026 using a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic and health-related questions and a modified WHOQOL-BREF. All 26 WHOQOL-BREF items were combined into a single quality-of-life (QoL) index ranging from 1 to 5. Because the QoL index was not normally distributed, nonparametric statistical tests were used.Results: The mean QoL index was 3.45 (SD = 0.49), with values ranging from 1.77 to 4.50. According to the category ranges defined for this study, 56.4% of participants had a QoL index classified as high. QoL did not differ significantly between men and women (U = 3185, p = 0.467). Self-reported health status was moderately associated with QoL (ρ = 0.402, p < 0.001), with higher QoL among participants without a current illness (M = 3.64) than among those reporting a current illness (M = 3.22). QoL also differed significantly according to subjective age (U = 2994, p < 0.001); participants who felt younger than their chronological age reported higher QoL (M = 3.71) than those who felt their chronological age (M = 3.44).Conclusion: Retirees in this rural Croatian community reported a relatively high mean QoL index. QoL was not significantly associated with sex but was higher among participants without a current illness and among those who felt younger than their chronological age.