Self-reported health complaints and their prediction of overall and health-related quality of life among elderly people.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and compare self-reported health complaints, overall and health-related quality of life and to investigate how health complaints, age, gender, marital status, living and dwelling conditions and socio-economy predicted overall and health-related quality of life.


METHODS
A sample of 469 persons (aged 75-99) responded to a postal questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine possible predictors.


RESULTS
Self-reported health complaints such as pain, fatigue and mobility impairment significantly predicted low overall and health-related quality life. Women had significantly lower overall and health-related quality of life than men, and a significantly higher degree of self-reported health complaints. The regression models had more similarities than differences, implying that the overall quality of life instrument were sensitive to physical influences only supposed to be detected by health-related quality of life instruments. Several of the health complaints predicting low quality of life are amenable for being relieved by nursing care. In the care of older people nurses need to assess for several health complaints simultaneously and be aware of their possible interaction when outlining interventions. Nurses are able to facilitate early detection of health complaints negatively affecting quality of life by implementing more pro-active preventive work as well as a higher degree of thorough and systematic assessments. It also seems important to consider that older woman's and men's needs for high quality of life may differ.
Borglin
Gunilla
G
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, P.O. Box 157, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. gunilla.borglin@omv.lu.se
Jakobsson
Ulf
U
Edberg
Anna-Karin
AK
Hallberg
Ingalill Rahm
IR
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008603:Mental Health; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013548:Sweden