The Relative Contribution of Health Status and Quality of Life Domains in Subjective Health in Old Age

• Published in: Social indicators research 2012-03, Vol.106 (1), p.27-39
• Main Authors: Prieto-Flores, Maria-Eugenia, Moreno-Jiménez, Antonio, Fernandez-Mayoralas, Gloria, Rojo-Perez, Fermina, Forjaz, Maria João
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administrator Surveys; Age; Aging; Aging (Individuals); Aging problems. Death; Care of the aged; Community Relations; Demography; Economic Factors; Elderly; Foreign Countries; Geography; Health; Health Care Costs; Health Conditions; Health Problems; Health status; Housing; Human Geography; Leisure; Leisure Time; Life Satisfaction; Logistic regression; Microeconomics; Morbidity; Neighborhoods; Neighbourhoods; Older Adults; Older people; Personal health; Physical Health; Place of Residence; Principals; Public Health; Quality of Life; Quality of Life Research; Questionnaires; Recreation; Regression analysis; Resident satisfaction; Sampling; Satisfaction; Social Indicators; Social Networks; Social research; Social Sciences; Sociodemographics; Socioeconomic Influences; Sociology; Sociology of the family. Age groups; Sociometric Techniques; Spain; Studies; Subjectivity; Surveys
• ISSN: 0303-8300; 1573-0921
• DOI: 10.1007/s11205-011-9791-z

To analyze the influence of different health status dimensions and quality of life (QoL) domains on older adults' subjective health, and to assess the role that residential satisfaction plays in these relationships. A QoL survey was conducted on a representative sample of the community-dwelling older adult population in Madrid province (Spain). Logistic regression models were applied to studying: the health status dimensions associated with satisfaction with health; the relationship between satisfaction with health and other QoL domains; and, the influence of these domains on satisfaction with life. Sociodemographic and residential characteristics were included in all the models. The determinants of satisfaction with health in the first model were: mobility, usual activities, morbidity, and satisfaction with neighborhood. QoL domains associated with health were: leisure activities, neighborhood, and finances. Satisfaction with life was explained by these three domains, along with age, family and health. In sum, leisure, neighborhood, and finances showed a positive effect on satisfaction with health and with life.