title: Use of senior center and the health-related quality of life in Korean older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the use of senior center and health-related quality of life in Korean older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey was conducted to two types of older adults who lived in Busan, Korea: 154 older adults who used a senior center and 137 older adults who did not use a senior center. The Korean version of short-form 36-item health survey was administered to assess the health-related quality of life. Demographic variables were obtained from a questionnaire. These were gender, age, family status, marital status, education, monthly income, present illness, body mass index and physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 8-domain scales of physical function and role-physical were significantly higher in the users of the senior center compared with the non-users (F=4.87, p=0.027 and F=7.02, p=0.009, respectively). The 8-domain scales of vitality was also significantly higher in the users of the senior center compared with the non-users (F=7.48, p=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed that the users of the senior center have higher physical function, role-physical and vitality compared with the non-users. These findings suggest that although the results are unable to specify causal relationships using the senior center may lead to some improvement in health-related quality of life.
authors: Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan.
authors: Hyun Shik
authors: HS
authors: Kim
authors: Kazuhiro
authors: K
authors: Harada
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Miyashita
authors: Eun A
authors: EA
authors: Lee
authors: Jin Kee
authors: JK
authors: Park
authors: Yoshio
authors: Y
authors: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires