Health related quality of life and physical performance. SENECA 1999.
This paper describes health related quality of life in 81-85 year old participants of the SENECA study and relates outcome to health and physical performance.


METHODS
SENECA is a mixed-longitudinal study in birth-cohorts, 1913-1918, with baseline measurements in 1988/1989 repeated in 1993 and 1999. Nine towns collected data in 1999. The study population consisted of 445 survivors.


METHODS
Health related quality of Life was measured by The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Percentages of answers (yes/no) to 38 items were used for scoring different dimensions. Self-perceived health was measured by a global question with five answer categories and chronic diseases as presence or absence of any chronic reported disease. For functional ability, a standardised Activity of Daily Living (ADL) questionnaire was used with 16 questions on a 4-point scale. Functional limitations were measured by a sum-score of objective simple functions tests (PPT).


RESULTS
Average scores in the different sections were: Energy:46, pain:55, emotional reactions:58, sleep:64, social integration:47 and physical mobility:70 11% had no problems in any of the sections. All health and physical performance measures were significantly associated with, not only physical mobility, but also affective and social components of quality of life, age 81-85.


CONCLUSIONS
The Nottingham Health Profile was a useful instrument to measure health related quality of life in physical, affective and social dimensions across birth cohorts, gender and culturally different towns in Europe. The answers apparently mirrored the subjective disadvantage of impairment-related functional limitations and may therefore be used as end point for further analyses of SENECA data.
Schroll
M
M
Dept Geriatric Medicine, H:S Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen University, Denmark. MS09@bbh.hosp.dk
Schlettwein
D
D
van Staveren
W
W
Schlienger
J L
JL
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires