Quality of life perceptions of middle-aged women living with a disability in Muang district, Khon Kaen, Thailand: WHOQOL perspective.

OBJECTIVES: Measure the quality of life of middle-aged women with a disability and examine the association of their quality of life and socio-demographic factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was applied Thirty-two women with disabilities aged 40-60 years were selected by using stratified random sampling. The WHOQOL-BREF-THAI, Modified Barthel ADL Index (BAI), Chula ADL Index (CAI), and Estrogen hormone deficit syndrome questionnaires were applied Data were analyzed by using descriptive analysis and Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: The level of their overall quality of life, when measuring all dimensions of WHOQOL, was moderate. Overall, QOL perceptions correlated positively and significantly with BAI (r(s) = 0.4848, p = 0.0048), CAI (r(s) = 0.5963, p = 0.0005), and their income balance (r = 0.4124, p = 0.0150), while other factors such as marital status, educational level, occupation, duration of disability, disability level, health problem, and estrogen hormone deficit syndrome were not statistically significant correlated. CONCLUSION: The present study results revealed that independency and financial sufficiency are significant factors on quality of life of disabled middle-age women. Promoting independency and financial status may be crucial for enhancing their quality of life.

Health promotion for middle-aged Isan women, Thailand: a participatory approach.

It is increasingly clear that non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, are important not only for the developed but also the developing world. Prevention efforts depend on community-based interventions and for these to be successful a participatory approach is necessary. The present paper describes experiences with middle-aged females living in a village in Isan, the Northeastern area of Thailand, focusing on the steps necessary to develop trust between researcher and subjects, the actual conditions of the women involved and their problems. From this base a number of interventions are planned taking into account the wishes of the villagers themselves, including a project to facilitate participation in physical exercise, a prime measure for prevention of cancer and other NCDs.