title: Global Quality of Life Among WHI Women Aged 80 Years and Older.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of older adults living to age 80 and older is increasing rapidly, particularly among women. Correlates of quality of life (QOL) in very advanced ages are not known. We examined the association of demographic, social-psychological, lifestyle, and physical health variables with global QOL in a Women's Health Initiative (WHI) cohort of women aged 80 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  26,299 WHI participants, who had completed a recent psychosocial and medical update, were included in these analyses. Global QOL was assessed by a single item, asking the women to rate their overall QOL on a scale from 0 to 10. Characteristics of the women were examined by the level of their transformed global QOL scores (≤50, 50-70, ≥70), and multiple regression was used to examine which demographic, social-psychological, lifestyle and health variables were independently associated with higher global QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Social-psychological and current health variables were more strongly associated with global QOL than a history of selected comorbid conditions. In particular, higher self-rated health and fewer depressive symptoms were the most strongly associated with better global QOL in WHI women ≥80 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions to reduce depressive symptoms and improve health may lead to better self-reported health and global QOL among older women. Physical and mental health screenings followed by evidence-based interventions are imperative in geriatric care.
authors: Division of Population Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. michelle.naughton@osumc.edu.
authors: Michelle J
authors: MJ
authors: Naughton
authors: University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada.
authors: Robert L
authors: RL
authors: Brunner
authors: Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors: Patricia E
authors: PE
authors: Hogan
authors: Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors: Suzanne C
authors: SC
authors: Danhauer
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors: Gretchen A
authors: GA
authors: Brenes
authors: Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington, School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.
authors: Deborah J
authors: DJ
authors: Bowen
authors: Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors: Beverly M
authors: BM
authors: Snively
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors: Joseph S
authors: JS
authors: Goveas
authors: College of Medicine, Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Colleges, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Nazmus
authors: N
authors: Saquib
authors: Health Sciences and Social Welfare, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors: Oleg
authors: O
authors: Zaslavsky
authors: Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
authors: Sally A
authors: SA
authors: Shumaker
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D011788:Quality of Life; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Aging; Global quality of life; Mental health; Physical health; WHI; Women