Assessment of subjective well-being status of elderly people in old age homes in Kolkata in relation to their perceived physical health and cognitive functioning

Abstract

Introduction: There is a limited data on the subjective well-being of elderly people living at old age homes in India. It is needed for planning better maintenance of physical health as well as cognitive function for their overall well-being. Materials and Methods: A descriptive survey was conducted. The data were collected from 50 elderly people who were selected by total enumeration sampling from two different old age home in Kolkata. They were assessed using Subjective Well-being Inventory and a self developed checklist for perceived physical health problems. Cognitive function was assessed by using Mini Mental State Examination. Results: More than half (52%) of the elderly people have reported high subjective well-being status. Regression analysis showed that perceived physical health problem (P < 0.001) and having children (P = 0.010) were statistically significant predictors of subjective well-being. Conclusion: In order to improve the quality of life of elderly people health workers should give more emphasis on psychosocial aspects of this population. Improved psychosocial aspects can increase perceived physical health hence subjective well-being.