Quality of Life among Elderly at Primary Health Care Centers in Al-Amara City

Abstract

Background: Quality of life is one of the perplexing concepts given its use in many different situations and multiple branches of science. It can refer to health, happiness, self-esteem, mental health, or satisfaction with life.

Aims of the study: The study aims to determine the quality of life among elderly resident in community and to found out relationship between life qualities with their socio-demographic characteristics.

Methodology: A quantitative design (descriptive study) was carried out during the period 14 January to, 12 March 2019 in the city of Al-Amara. A simple random sample method was used to identify (6) primary health care centers, to select (50) elderly people according to special criteria of those who live in the community and review health care centers. The data was collected through interview method using developed instrument consisted of (2) parts. The first part includes demographic data and second related to elderly quality of life, which contain six domains. The data analyze through use descriptive statistical by (Frequency, Percentage ....) Inferential (Chi-Square test).

Results: The mean score and standard deviation of the overall quality of life ranges were moderate (2.15 ± 0.739) with poor level in overall assessment for elderly quality of life 21 (42.0 %). Moreover, the findings of the study demonstrated that there was high significant association between elderly: age, gender, occupation, educational level, marital status, and income and quality of life score at (P value < 0.01).

Conclusion: The study shows that the majority of participants have a weak to moderate degree in all domains of quality of life. Also, there was high significance among these domains with their socio-demographic characteristics.

Recommendations: the present study recommends conduct health education by specialize nurses in relation to increase activities, social relationship, and environmental changes may help in improving elderly life quality. In addition, the study recommends broader studies on a group of elderly people