The Relationship among Quality of Life, Depression and Subjective Health Status of the Elderly with Chronic Disease in Korea

Abstract

Objectives: Quality of life is a critical issue of elderly people. This study aimed to examine the factors that influence the quality of life of the elderly with chronic disease in Korea. Methods: Data collection was carried out on October 29-30, 2010. After the initial contact to explain the study’s purpose, the Korea Southern Power (KOSPO) assisted the study and provided a list of fragile elderly with chronic disease. Answer sheets from 125 respondents were gathered, and 101 of them were analyzed except for 24 incomplete ones. Frequency analysis, t-test, and multiple regressions were used in the research. Results: The mean age of the participants was 77.45 years, with 76 (75.2%) of them being female. Regarding educational level, 42 (41.6%) participants were illiterate in status and 25 (24.8%) participants graduated from elementary school. Regarding religion, 66 (65.3%) of the participants has religion. Of the 101 participants, 16 (18.4%) were good or very good health status, 33 (37.9%) subjects were moderate health status. The mean of systolic blood pressure was 142.44±15.53, the mean of diastolic blood pressure was 88.56±10.48 and the mean of blood sugar was 135.69±36.15. The level of their quality of life was 2.58 ± 0.36 points (ranging 1-3). In correlation analysis, quality of life was significantly correlated with depression (r=-.514, p<.001), health status (r=.805, p<.001), MMSE (r= .430, p<.001). In multiple analysis, educational level (t=2.541, p=.014), depression (t=-2.867, p=.006), and subjective health status (t=9.985, p<.001) were found to be factors significantly associated with quality of life. These variables explained 71.9% of the elderly’s quality of life with chronic disease. Conclusion: The results of the study showed the significance of depression and subjective health status to improve the quality of life of the elderly.