ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Health-related quality of life (HQL) among older adults is often neglected and underprioritized in developing countries and is further burdened during natural disasters, such as earthquakes. The main objective of this study was to explore the factors affecting HQL among older adults living in Lalitpur District of Nepal. METHODS: A total of 362 older adults participated in this study. Questionnaires were used to interview the respondents on various aspects, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, functional ability, and social support. An analysis was made to explore the factors affecting HQL. RESULTS: HQL scores ranged between 3.13 and 90.63. A majority of the respondents (215/362; 59.4%) scored ≤ 50, indicating poorer HQL. The multivariate analysis found the impact of the following factors on HQL: functional status (ß = 0.295; P < 0.001), PTSD (ß = -0.225; P < 0.001), chronic disease (ß = -0.168; P < 0.001), social support (ß = 0.120; P = 0.019), injury (ß = -0.104; P = 0.024), age (ß = -0.116; P < 0.001), and accessibility to resources. CONCLUSION: Poor HQL of older adults was dependent on various factors. The disaster preparedness program in Nepal needs urgent attention to address the concerns of older adults by incorporating the findings from this study.
Subject(s)
Disasters , Earthquakes , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic , Aged , Humans , Nepal , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
Previous studies among Buddhist monks in Thailand have reported smoking rates to be as high as 55%. Because 95% of Thais are Buddhist, monks are highly influential in establishing normative behavioral patterns. As the first population-based study on smoking among Buddhist monks in Thailand, this study aims to determine the smoking prevalence in six regions of the country, and to examine smoking knowledge, risk perceptions, behaviors, and associated demographics among full-fledged and novice monks (n = 6,213). Results demonstrated that the overall prevalence for current smoking monks is 24.4% (95% confidence interval [24.453, 24.464]), with regional differences ranging from 14.6% (North) to 40.5% (East). Findings suggest that integrating prevention and cessation programming into religious courses may be one avenue for reaching many incoming monks. Further, involving monks in tobacco control education and setting a nonsmoking standard among them is vital to the success of reducing smoking rates among the general population in Thailand.
Subject(s)
Buddhism/psychology , Smoking Cessation/psychology , Smoking/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Confidence Intervals , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Smoking/psychology , Smoking Prevention , Surveys and Questionnaires , Thailand/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
This ethnographic study was conducted to explore ways of healthy aging and the influence of culture on health-related behaviors in a rural community in Northern Thailand. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations and field notes were used to understand the lives of seven healthy Thai older adults aged 75 years and over. Data were collected from March 2007 to February 2008, with ongoing ethnographic analysis involving coding, identifying patterns, generalizing and making reflective notes to elucidate the cultural patterns of behavior. All informants perceived health as interrelated with their life styles, which was, in turn, closely related to their cultural roots, suggesting that culture influences the health of all members of smaller, closely knit communities, including the elderly, by integrating physical, social and spiritual health for older adults and their families.
