Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of this study is to investigate the association between social relationships and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) among the elderly in Italy.MethodsA sample of 33,744 Italian residents, representing the non-institutionalised population aged 60 years and over was extracted from the national ISTAT cross-sectional survey during 1999–2000. HRQL was measured with the SF-12, from which the Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) were obtained. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression models with adjustment for the main confounders.ResultsOur analysis shows a gradient in PCS and MCS among the terziles in seeing/meeting "friends" and "family" and, for PCS, a North-South gradient among the Italian regions. Females, the elderly who reported a lower household income, those who spent less time in recreational and religious activities, who lived too far from their relatives and had few relationships with friends and relatives, were significantly less likely to have an MCS above the median value. For PCS, an increase in HRQL was likely to be associated with a higher educational level, while lower PCS scores were associated with: age 75+, inadequate household income, unmarried status, infrequency of seeing/meeting friends, too high a mean distance from own home to relatives' homes, lack of leisure time spent in recreational activities, living in the Centre-South of Italy, chronic diseases, reduced autonomy, and use of drugs during the previous two days. Significant interactions between suffering from one chronic disease and the use of drugs were also found for both MCS and PCS.ConclusionSome dimensions of social relationships were significantly associated with HRQL. These findings are crucial for devising welfare strategies at both the regional and the European level, i.e. in countries such as Italy where the primacy of family support of the elderly has declined in recent years.
Highlights
The aim of this study is to investigate the association between social relationships and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) among the elderly in Italy
For Physical Component Score (PCS), our analysis showed a North-South gradient among the Italian regions
For mental health (Table 2), females, the elderly who reported lower household income, those who spent less time in recreational and religious activities, those who lived too far from their relatives and had few relationships with friends and relatives and those living in the South rather than in the North West of Italy, were significantly less likely to have an Mental Component Score (MCS) above the median value
Summary
The aim of this study is to investigate the association between social relationships and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) among the elderly in Italy. A recent review carried out by Berkman and Glass proposed a "cascade" model by which social and cultural characteristics determine the structure and shape of a social network [8], supporting – in turn – functional aspects that may influence health status via psychological and physiological pathways. This model was tested in a Mediterranean country by including psychosocial aspects related to social integration [13]
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