Health-related quality of life, and its determinants, among older people in rural Vietnam

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 549
• Main Authors: Hoi, Le V, Chuc, Nguyen Tk, Lindholm, Lars
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 11.09.2010; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; anxiety; Asia; bất bình đẳng; chuẩn nghèo; châu Á; chất lượng cuộc sống; chủ hộ; community; cộng đồng; Demographic aspects; depression; developing country; discomfort; Economic conditions; education; elderly health; EQ-5D; Female; folkhälsa; GDP; gender; giáo dục; giới; Gross Domestic Product; Health aspects; Health care access; Health Care Reform; Health Status; health-related quality of life; household head; household survey; Households; hoạt động thường xuyên; Humans; hôn nhân; inequalities; Influence; Interviews as Topic; khu vực sống; khó chịu; kinh tế xã hội; Laws, regulations and rules; Life expectancy; Linear Models; living area; living arrangement; lo lắng; Male; marital status; Medical policy; Middle Aged; mobility; ngũ phân thịnh vượng; người cao tuổi; nông thôn; nước đang phát triển; Older people; pain; Population; poverty line; Public health; Quality of Life; rural; Rural areas; Rural Population; Sample size; self-care; Social Class; Social policy; socioeconomic; Surveillance; Surveys and Questionnaires; sắp xếp cuộc sống; thực trạng sức khỏe; trầm cảm; tình trạng làm việc; tự chăm sóc; Urban areas; usual activities; Vietnam; Việt Nam; wealth quintile; working status; y tế; đau; đi lại; điều tra hộ gia đình; Vietnam; Sweden
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-549

The proportion of people in Vietnam aged 60 and above has increased rapidly in recent decades. However, there is a lack of evidence, particularly in rural settings, on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) within the context of socioeconomic changes and health-sector reform in the country. This study assesses the level and determinants of HRQoL in a rural district in order to provide evidence for designing and implementing appropriate health policies. In 2007, 2,873 people aged 60+ living in 2,240 households randomly selected from the FilaBavi demographic surveillance site (DSS) were interviewed using a generic EQ-5D questionnaire to assess their HRQoL. Socioeconomic characteristics of the people and their households were extracted from the DSS's re-census that year, and the EQ-5D index was calculated based on the time trade-off tariff. Multilevel-multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to measure the affect of socioeconomic factors on HRQoL. The EQ-5D index at old age was found to be 0.876 (95%CI: 0.870-0.882). Age between 60-69 or 70-79 years, position as household head, working until old age, literacy, and belonging to better wealth quintiles are determinants of higher HRQoL. Ageing has a primary influence on the deterioration of HRQoL at older ages, mainly due to reduction in physical rather than mental functions. Educational disparity in HRQoL is low, and exists mostly between basic and higher levels of education. Being a household head and working at old age are advantageous for attaining better quality of life in physical rather than psychological terms. Economic conditions affect HRQoL through sensory rather than physical utilities. Long-term living conditions more likely affect HRQoL than short-term economic conditions. HRQoL at old age is at a high level, and varies substantially according to socioeconomic factors. Its determinants should be addressed in social and health policies designed to improve health of older people, especially among the most vulnerable groups.