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Physical function and perceived quality of life in older persons
Oriana Fusco1, Alessandro Ferrini, Michaela Santoro
1Department of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Physical Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
|May 31, 2012
Summary
Physical function impacts quality of life in older adults. Specific Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) limitations particularly affect women's quality of life, with less consistent associations found in men.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Physical function and quality of life are key indicators in older adults.
- Multidimensional evaluation is crucial for assessing well-being in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify which specific physical function measure best predicts quality of life in older individuals.
- To explore gender-specific differences in the relationship between physical function and quality of life.
Main Methods:
- Study included 73 community-dwelling older adults from a geriatric cardiovascular clinic.
- Physical function assessed via 4-meter walking test (4mWS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and Instrumental ADL (IADL).
- Quality of life measured using the European Quality of Life (EuroQoL) instrument; analyses included linear regressions and ANCOVA.
Main Results:
- In women, SPPB, ADL, and IADL were significantly associated with EuroQoL visual analogic scale scores, even after adjustments.
- In men, no physical function measure consistently predicted quality of life in fully-adjusted models.
- Gender differences emerged in how disabilities in specific IADL tasks were perceived.
Conclusions:
- Physical function is linked to quality of life in older adults.
- Disabilities in specific IADL tasks significantly impact women's quality of life.
- The IADL scale's reliability may differ between genders in older populations.
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