Physical Function And Health-related Quality Of Life In Culturally Diverse Elders

Abstract

PURPOSE The theory of environmental press suggests that health-related quality of life (HRQL) may be compromised when environmental demands are not matched with functional ability. The purpose of this investigation was to examine physical function and HRQL in culturally diverse elders. METHODS Seventy-eight older adults were evaluated for physical function using the continuous-scale physical functional performance test (CS-PFP) and HRQL using the SF-36 v. 2. Twenty-six predominantly African American community dwelling participants were from a lower socio-economic class (LOW), 26 were Caucasian adults from a higher socio-economic class (HIGH), and 26 were randomly selected from a larger population-based study (POP). RESULTS One-way ANOVA and follow-up LSD comparisons revealed group differences in age between LOW (72.2 ± 8.1 years) and HIGH (77.6 ± 4.8 years), while the mean age of the POP group = (73.4 ± 6.4). MANCOVA (age as a covariate) revealed group differences in physical function (F = 3.796, p <.001) and HRQL (F = 3.396, p <0.001). Follow-up LSD comparisons revealed that the LOW group had greater upper body strength compared to both the HIGH and POP groups (61.2 ± 3.7 vs. 43.6 ± 3.6 and 35.4 ± 3.6, respectively), and greater lower body strength (42.2 ± 3.3 vs. 36.5 ± 3.6) and total CS-PFP score (55.5 ± 3.5 vs. 44.4 ± 3.4) than the POP group. With respect to HRQL, the POP group had poorer SF-36 role physical (RP), physical function (PF), and physical component subscale (PCS) scores than the LOW and HIGH groups (PF: POP = 53.3 ± 5.8, LOW = 76.6 ± 5.3, HIGH = 75.5 ± 5.4; RP: POP = 56.6 ± 6.9, LOW = 80.9 ± 6.4, HIGH = 85.8 ± 6.4; PCS: POP = 38.3 ± 2.1, LOW = 49.6 ± 2.0, HIGH = 48.0 ± 2.0). The LOW had poorer mental health (MH) and mental component subscale (MCS) scores than the HIGH and POP groups (MH: LOW = 69.2 ± 2.6, HIGH = 88.4 ± 2.6, POP = 85.1 ± 2.6; MCS: LOW = 51.5 ± 1.4, HIGH = 57.7 ± 1.5, POP = 58.2 ± 1.6). CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with the theory that environmental press may interact with functional ability to impact HRQL.