The association of health-related factors with quality of life among the elderly population in the Jaffna district of Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: The proportion of elderly individuals is increasing globally. They should be well cared for to enable them to enjoy their full lifespans. Good health is a vital component of one's overall quality of life. Our study aimed to assess the association of health-related factors with quality of life among elderly individuals in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka. METHODS: We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional study among 813 elderly individuals in the Jaffna district of Sri Lanka. Sociodemographic factors and the patterns of health conditions were recorded through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Quality of life was measured through the World Health Organisation Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-Bref) questionnaire. RESULTS: There were slightly more male respondents (53.5%) than females in the study. The median age of the participants was 70 (11) years. Approximately one-third of them had at least one chronic health condition. Musculoskeletal complaints were found to be the most common health condition, followed by diabetes, hypertension, vision problems, and asthma. Among the respondents, 20.1% were attending regular follow-up visits in a clinic, and 24% of them were meeting a doctor at least monthly. Among them, 6.8% had at least one limitation in their activities of daily living. However, the majority (58.6%) reported that they were satisfied with their health status. The following factors were found to be significantly associated with worse quality of life: the presence of health conditions, the presence of musculoskeletal conditions, hearing impairment, vision impairment, bronchial asthma, limitations in activities of daily living, and the use of addictive substances. Satisfaction with health, regular follow-up visits in a clinic, meeting a doctor at least monthly, and having diabetes were significantly associated with better quality of life. CONCLUSION: Minimising the limitations of daily living, abstaining from using addictive substances, preventing diseases, and improving access to health services may enhance the quality of life of elderly individuals. Furthermore, these factors should be considered by policy makers seeking to improve the quality of life of elderly individuals.

The effect of socioeconomic factors on quality of life of elderly in Jaffna district of Sri Lanka.

Globally, the proportion of the elderly is increasing. In comparison to other Southeast Asian countries, Sri Lanka's population is rapidly aging. The elderly are a vulnerable age group that requires special attention to live a long and healthy life. As, there was a scarcity of data on the elderly's quality of life, studying the level of quality of life and the associated factors of the elderly in the Jaffna district will provide insight into how to plan interventions to improve the elderly's overall well-being in Jaffna District and Sri Lanka as well. The study aimed to determine the quality of life of the elderly in the Jaffna district of Sri Lanka and to study the association of socioeconomic factors with the quality of life. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 813 community-dwelling elderly in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka. Socio-economic characteristics were recorded by way of a structured questionnaire. The WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire was used to assess quality of life in four domains: physical health, psychological, social participation and the environment. The statistical Package of Social Science Software (SPSS) version 21 was used to analyse the data. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were applied, p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among the four QOL domains, the mean (SD) score for an environmental domain was (12.1±2.1), (12.0±2.8) for the psychological domain, (11.8±2.3) for the physical health domain, and (10.1±3.0) for the social relationship domain. Factors significantly associated with all domains of QOL included marital status, level of education, living arrangement, employment, level of income, income adequacy and ownership of the house. Furthermore, age, sex, religion, number of children, and presence of monthly income, were significantly associated with at least one domain of QOL of the elderly. According to these findings, the QOL of the elderly in the Jaffna district of Sri Lanka seems low. And it was associated with multiple socio-economic factors. Interventions to improve the QOL of the elderly are anticipated with a higher emphasis on social relationship for the elderly.

Establishment of Reference Norms for Lung Function Parameters of Healthy Sri Lankan Tamils.

Spirometry and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) are important measurements in diagnosing and monitoring of COPD and asthma. Ethnic specific reference equations are necessary in interpretation of these parameters. However, equations for Sri Lankan Tamil adults are not available. This study aims to establish reference equations for lung function parameters of Sri Lankan Tamils. A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in all 5 districts of Northern Sri Lanka. Participants were selected by cluster sampling. Base line data were obtained by a questionnaire. Height, sitting height, weight, arm span, mid arm circumference, and chest expansion were measured. Respiratory functions were assessed by a calibrated spirometer (Cosmed Micro Quark, Italy) and Wright compatible peak expiratory flow meter. Means, and standard deviations for Vital Capacity (VC), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1%, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) and for other forced expiratory parameters of 775 males and 687 females were determined. Lung function parameters have significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations with most of the anthropometric measures. Age had a significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation with lung function parameters in adults >20 years and positive correlation (p < 0.05) in 14-20 years group. Step wise multiple regression analysis was used to determine the prediction equations. Also equations based on age, height and age, arm span were derived. Age, height based equations were retested in the same population. Predicted values by the developed equations had better agreement than that of GLI 2012 equations. This can be useful in assessing the respiratory function in Sri Lankan Tamil population as there are no already existing equations.