Comparisons of the life quality and its influential factors among the senior citizens in communities, nursing homes and elderly wards in Shanghai Minhang district / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To understand the life quality of elderly person in communities, nursing homes and elderly wards, and to find out the related influencing factors for providing references for policy-makers to improve the life quality of the elderly. Methods The senior citizens in 9 communities, 3 villages, 12 nursing homes and 5 elderly wards in Shanghai Minhang District were enrolled by stratified cluster sampling. And the life quality and its influential factors among the inhabitants in communities, nursing homes and elderly wards were compared by adopting Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Results Regarding to the life qualities of senior citizens, community showed that physical functioning was (71. 9 ± 23. 3)scores, role physical was (73. 6 ± 43. 0) scores, bodily pain was (80. 2±20. 3)scores, general health was (53. 2± 19. 1)scores, vitality was (70. 4± 15. 7)scores, social function was ( 83. 8 ± 20. 2) scores, role emotional was ( 81. 1 ± 37. 2 ) scores, mental health was (78. 1 ± 15. 4) scores, weighted average was (74. 1 ± 17. 5) scores. Nursing home showed that physical functioning was (42. 1 ±30. 7) scores, role physical was (57. 9 ±48. 1) scores, bodily pain was (78.0±23.0)scores, general health was (50. 2± 19. 5)scores, vitality was (66. 0± 19. 5)scores, social function was (70. 8 ± 26. 3) scores, role emotional was (66. 8 ± 45. 7) scores, mental health was (73. 6 ± 19. 6) scores, weighted average was (63. 2 ± 21. 0) scores. Elderly ward showed that physical functioning was (20. 4 ± 26. 0) scores, role physical was (36. 1 ± 47. 0) scores, bodily pain was (65. 4±29. 5)scores, general health was (43. 1±17. 1)scores, vitality was (59. 0± 18. 0)scores, social function was (57. 9 ± 25. 3) scores, role emotional was (49. 5 ± 48. 7) scores, mental health was (66. 2 ± 18. 3) scores, weighted average was (49. 7 ±18. 3) scores. The major influential factors on the life quality were gender, education, marriage, profession, age, disease, residence, entertainment, physical exercise for community; Age, disease, residence, entertainment, physical exercise for nursing home; Age, etc for elderly ward. Conclusions The influences of demographic factors on life quality of the senior citizens in communities are more significant than in nursing home and elderly wards. Variations on the degree of satisfaction (in residence, entertainment, health care and transportation) and the situation of physical exercise have made vast difference in the life quality of the senior citizens both in communities and nursing homes.