Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Daily Life Activities and Quality of Life of Thai Elderly.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of older people is a significant issue in Thailand, resulted in growing demands of health and social welfare services. The study aim was to explore the influence of socioeconomic factors on activities of daily living and quality of life of Thai seniors. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using randomised cluster sampling, one province was sampled from each of the Central, North, Northeast and South regions, then one subdistrict sampled in each province, and a household survey used to identify the sample of 1678 seniors aged 60 years and over. The Mann-Whitney U-test and binary logistic regression were used to compare and determine the association of socioeconomic variables on quality of life and activities of daily living. RESULTS: The findings showed that sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors were significantly related to functional capacity of daily living. Education levels were strongly associated with daily life activities, with 3.55 adjusted ORs for respondents with secondary school education. Gender was important, with females comprising 61% of dependent respondents but only 47% of independent respondents. Seniors with low incomes were more likely to be anxious in the past, present and future and less likely to accept death in the late stage, with 1.40 Adjusted ORs (95%CI: 1.02-1.92), and 0.72 (95%CI: 0.53-0.98), respectively. However, they were more likely to engage in social activities. CONCLUSIONS: While socioeconomic factors strongly indicated the functional capacity to live independently, a good quality of life also required other factors leading to happiness and life satisfaction.

The Influence of Chronic Illness and Lifestyle Behaviors on Quality of Life among Older Thais.

Chronic conditions and lifestyle behaviors have a detrimental influence on the quality of life for seniors because of physical disability and emotional concerns. This study aimed to assess the influence of chronic illness, smoking, and alcohol use on quality of life among Thai seniors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three communities, selected purposively from the North, Northeast, and Central regions, and 1278 senior participants were recruited. Binary logistic regression was used to predict the influence of factors on quality of life with adjusted covariates. Most participants were aged 60-70 years and married, earned 500-1,000 Baht/month (US $17-$35), had one chronic illness, and were nonsmokers and nondrinkers. Surprisingly, there appeared to be no link between chronic conditions and quality of life. Current drinkers were more likely to have a high quality of life, with Odds Ratios of 2.16 for men and 2.73 for women. Seniors of both genders who were current drinkers were more likely to accept death and dying and this improved their quality of life. Social participation in alcohol consumption may encourage seniors to share their concerns about death and dying and eventually accept this as a foundation of life.

Factors Predictive Of Alcohol Consumption Among Elderly People In A Rural Community: A Case Study In Phayao Province Thailand.

BACKROUND: Alcohol consumption is recognized as a public health issue. Study objectives were to identify factors predictive of alcohol consumption among elderly people in Phayao province Thailand, where there was high prevalence of alcohol consumption. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Four hundred elderly people participated in a survey. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the factors predictive of alcohol consumption among the study subjects. RESULTS: One thirds of elderly (31.7%) had consumed alcohol in their lifetime, and (15.7%) of them were current drinkers. Following univariate analysis, seven factors included gender, working, sickness, smoking, quality of life (QOL), daily activities and economic recession - were identified as being significantly associated with drinking (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed four factors to be predictive of alcohol among elderly people: gender (OR=6.02, 95% CI=3.58-10.13), smoking (OR=4.34, 95% CI=2.57-7.34), economic recession (OR=2.79, 95%, CI=1.66-4.71), and QOL (OR=1.86, 95%, CI=1.09-3.16). CONCLUSIONS: Gender (male) and smoking were strongly predictive factors of elderly alcohol consumption. Hence, an effort to reduce alcohol consumption should be placed on male elderly and those who smoke.

Factors Influencing the Quality of Life (Qol) Among Thai Older People in a Rural Area of Thailand.

BACKGROUND: The population prevalence of older people has been growing worldwide. Quality of Life (QoL) among older people is a significant public health concern. Hence, this study aimed to assess level of QoL and factors influencing QoL among rural Thai older people. METHODS: The study was undertaken in Phayao Province where is one of the top ten provinces with the highest index of Thai aging. A district in this province was purposively selected to be the study area and the quota-sampling technique was used for sample collection, totally 400 older people participated according to Taro Yamane. The WHO QoL-Old was employed to interview elderly QoL. Multivariate linear regression was performed to determine the factors influencing QoL among the older people. RESULTS: Over two-thirds of older people (68.5%) had QoL at fair level. The vast majority (96%) had high scores for Activity Daily Living (ADL). Approximately one-fifth (20.5%) reported current smoking and 31.7% reported ever drinking during previous year. Following univariate analysis, nine factors - gender, age, education, working, income, present illness, drinking, ADL, and participating in elderly club were identified as being significantly associated with QoL (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed four factors predictive of QoL among elderly: ADL, income, alcohol drinking, and present illness (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Physical function, health status and financial were the predictor of QoL among elderly. Noticeably, drinking was one predictive factor of QoL but only among moderate drinkers. Hence, healthy life style should be considered as key areas in attempts to promote QoL among elderly people.