[Health-related quality of life of elderly patients in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
To study the quality of life of the consultant elderly people and the associated factors to them.


METHODS
A transversal and observational study.


METHODS
Primary care. An urban health center.


METHODS
Patients over 64 years without any physical or psiquical limitation that disturb the communication between patient and doctor, that ask for a consultation. Election of a necessary sample trough consecutive sampling, to precision of 0,05 points and 95% CI.


METHODS
The patients filled out the valid version to Spanish of the Nottinghan Health Profile. The social demographics and the morbility variables were taken through clinical histories or in other case, through the patients interviews.


RESULTS
The questionnaire was answered for 386 patients with a global mid punctuation of 9166 points (25,5% of deterioration; 95% CI, 23,8-27,1%), being the deterioration in each one of following sizes: <<energy>> (22%; 95% CI, 25,3-18,7%); <<pain>> (22,5%; 95% CI, 24,9-20,1%); <<sleep>> (31,7%; 95% CI, 34,8-28,6%), <<social isolation>> (16,5%; 95% CI, 18,9-14%); <<emotional state>> (27,9%; 95% CI, 30,5-25,8%) and <<mobility>> (28,3%; 95% CI, 30,7-25,9%). It was presented with a high level of deterioration and with differences statistically significant, women (28,7% versus 19,0%; p < 0,001), except in <<energy>> sphere, patients with elevated age (23,1%, 21,1%, 24,4%, 30,5% y 35,9% in 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84 and > 84 years old respectively; p < 0,001), except in <<pain>> and <<sleep>> sphere), those who lived alone or without partner, those who were included in the house attention program 42,8% frente a 23,3%; p < 0,001), those who had a major number of chronic disease and those who took a great number of drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
There are an important deterioration in the quality of life of our elderly people, associated to different social demography factors and morbidity. The assessment of the quality of life should be an habitual tool in our clinical practice.
Casado
J
J
Centro de Salud Sillería. Toledo.
González
N
N
Moraleda
S
S
Orueta
R
R
Carmona
J
J
Gómez-Calcerrada
R
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires