Effect of gender on the quality of life among elderly population: A survey report on quality of life among elderly individuals ages 60 years and above residing in Delhi NCR Region

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The twenty?first century has shown a boost in the geriatric population. Looking at the trends, this group of population is expected to outnumber the other population groups, therefore has become one of the focus points for researchers these days. As the age of an individual increase, due to slowed metabolism and other biological reasons, the physical activity levels and body functioning tends to get affected, thereby also affecting their motor skills. This age group is also an age group which tends to face changes in psychological conditions. The kind of environment which they live in and their social status are also one of contributing factors to such changes in their lives and also how their perception of life and quality of life (QOL). Maintaining a good QOL has therefore become an important issue in the geriatric population so that they can lead a better life until senescence. QOL according to the World Health Organization depends on different factors and has been measured through four domains. The four domains include the physical state, psychological domain, social domain, and environmental domain. Aim: This article aims at studying the effect of the gender of an individual on the QOL, and what steps can be taken to improve the perception of life among the population by improvements in the QOL by assessing all the four domains of a group of 100 individuals, both male and female of 60 years and above through online survey. Materials and Methods: A standardized questionnaire developed by the WHO was adopted to measure the scores obtained by both males and females in the different domains. Data obtained through this survey were tested and validated, and a comparison between the QOL scores of males and females was done using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Results showed no significant difference in the scores of males and females. Conclusion: It was concluded that the gender of an individual does not influence the QOL