title: Health-related quality of life in old age: a comparison between rural areas in Bangladesh and Vietnam.
abstract: This study compares health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its determinants among older people (≥60 years) in rural Bangladesh and Vietnam. Cross-sectional studies among older people were conducted in Bangladesh (n = 1031) and Vietnam (n = 870). Data on HRQoL were collected using an instrument that includes 24 items distributed into 6 dimensions. Older people in Vietnam reported more favorable HRQoL outcomes than those in Bangladesh, reporting better HRQoL on physical, psychological, social, and financial dimensions. Hierarchical linear regression analyses show that advanced age, being a woman, belonging to a poor household, and reporting poor health were significantly associated with lower HRQoL scores in both Bangladesh and Vietnam. In Bangladesh, being illiterate was additionally associated with lower HRQoL scores. The results of this explorative study underline the importance of a cross-cultural understanding of HRQoL of older people and the influence of the socioecological context.
authors.affiliation: The Red Cross University College, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: A K M Masud
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: Duong Huy
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Luong
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winblad
authors.forename: Zarina Nahar
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Kabir
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001459:Bangladesh; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014744:Vietnam