title: Patterns of subjective quality of life among older adults in rural Vietnam and Indonesia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper aims to assess the subjective quality of life (SQOL) and its correlates among older adults in rural communities of Vietnam and Indonesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The paper uses the data from the INDEPTH/WHO Study on global aging and adult health (SAGE). The study was carried out in the FilaBavi Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site in Vietnam and in Purworejo HDSS in Indonesia. All people aged 50 years and over who lived in these two HDSS areas were surveyed. Face-to-face household interviews were carried out by trained surveyors using the standardized summary version of the INDEPTH/WHO SAGE questionnaire. The SQOL was assessed by asking the respondents "How would you rate your overall quality of life?" The response set was a five-point scale where 1 = Very good, 2 = Good, 3 = Moderate, 4 = Bad, 5 = Very bad.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both countries, the SQOL was reported to be higher among (i) men; (ii) people with higher education; (iii) people who were in a marital partnership; (iv) people who lived with other family members; and (v) those with higher economic status, compared with that in those of other category(ies) of the same characteristic. In Vietnam, people who belonged to the second to fifth economic quintiles and had more than 6 years of education were sevenfold more likely to report very good/good quality of life compared with those who belonged to the first economic quintile (poorest) and had no formal education. The corresponding figure was 2.7 for Indonesia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patterns of sociodemographic determinants of SQOL show that inequality in quality of life exists among older adults in the two study settings.
authors: Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Center for Health System Research, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam. hvminh71@yahoo.com
authors: Hoang Van
authors: HV
authors: Minh
authors: Nawi
authors: N
authors: Ng
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Byass
authors: Stig
authors: S
authors: Wall
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012424:Rural Population; D014744:Vietnam