[The Norton Scale as predictor of health-related quality of life in institutionalized elderly]

A low Norton Scale (NS) score predicts pressure ulcer risk and several adverse outcomes in the elderly. On the other hand, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an indicator with clinical and predictive utilities. The aim was to assess the relationship between NS and HRQOL, in a gender analysis.

Fifty-one women and 39 men, institutionalized and aged≥65 years, were evaluated through personal interview and medical records. The NS, HRQOL -with EuroQol-5D-, age, body mass index, falls, use of psychoactive drugs, cognitive function and Charlson, Barthel and Tinetti indexes, were assessed. Two regression models were developed, with EuroQol-5D as dependent variable.

The NS showed the same score in both sexes, with a median (interquartile range) value of 19 (2). Women presented a worse HRQOL, with an EuroQol-5D=0.78, whereas it was 0.87 in men (P=.02). The NS score was correlated with HRQOL in women (r=0.57; P<.001) but not in men (r=0.15; P=.36). After adjusting for confounders, the NS showed a β value of 0.54 (P=.02) in women and β=0.35 (P=.14) in men.

The NS has shown to be the strongest factor on HRQOL in women, regardless of age, comorbidity and the rest of covariates. Conversely, the relationship was weaker and non-significant in men.