Quality of Life and Its Determinants Among Elderly Residing in Urban Bengaluru, India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: The number of elderly in the world is increasing and in the context of the dynamic changes taking place in Indian society and increasing chronic diseases, the problems of the aged and their quality of life (QoL) has assumed greater importance. Ageing is often accompanied by functional decline, economic dependence, social isolation, and reduced family support, all of which compromise QoL. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to November 2023 on 171 elderly persons (>60 years). The elderly were selected from urban community by using probability proportional to size sampling method. QoL was assessed using WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Descriptive statistics of QoL was analysed and presented in terms of median with inter quartile range (IQR). Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann Whitney U test were used to compare the mean QoL scores and other variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to predict the determinants of QoL. Results: Among the study subjects, 113(66.1%) were in the age group of 60-69 years (young old). Median (IQR) score of QoL in physical, psychological, social relationship and environment domain was 60.71 (53.5-71.4), 62.50 (45.8-70.8), 58.33 (50.0-66.6), & 56.25 (46.8-62.5) respectively. The determinants of QoL were monthly dispensable income, chronic morbidity, activities of daily living (physical domain); socio economic status (psychological domain); socio economic status, person to confide, activities of daily living (social relationship domain) and gender, socio economic status, health insurance (environmental domain). Conclusion: More proportion of elderly perceived their quality of life as ‘neither good nor bad’ in the urban community. Elderly individuals had maximum quality of life score in the psychological domain and minimum in the environmental domain.