Subjective health and quality of life among elderly people living with chronic multimorbidity and difficulty in activities of daily living in rural South Africa.
Background: South Africa has been experiencing a growing proportion of elderly population with rapid increases in the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) characteristic of population aging. Rural areas in South Africa represent a far smaller fraction of the population, however, share a relatively higher burden of NCDs. In the current literature, there is limited evidence on rural studies in the context of chronic diseases and activities of daily living (ADLs) among the elderly population (60 years and above) in South Africa. Purpose: In this regard, we undertook the present study with the objective of examining the demographic, behavioral, and socioeconomic predictors of subjective health, depression, and quality of life among elderly men and women living in the rural areas (n=2,627). Methods: Data for this study were collected from the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI). Main explanatory variables were self-reported NCDs and difficulties in ADLs. The predictors of subjective health, depression, and quality of life were assessed using multivariable regression methods. Results: We found that the proportion of participants who reported good health, not having depression, and good quality of life was respectively 44.7%, 81.3%, and 63%. Women in the oldest age group (80+ years) were significantly less likely to report good health (OR=0.577, 95% CI=0.420, 0.793) and quality of life (OR=0.709, 95% CI=0.539, 0.933) compared with those in the youngest group. Having more than one chronic condition and ADL difficulties significantly lowered the odds of good health, having no depression, and quality of life among men and women. Conclusion: The present findings suggest the involvement of sociodemographic factors in health and quality of life outcomes among elderly South Africans, and call for enhanced efforts to address these health limiting conditions such as ADLs and chronic multimorbidity.
['Wang|Chao|C|', 'Pu|Run|R|', 'Li|Zhifei|Z|', 'Ji|Lu|L|', 'Li|Xiaosong|X|', 'Ghose|Bishwajit|B|', 'Huang|Rui|R|', 'Tang|Shangfeng|S|']
D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000367:Age Factors D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D002908:Chronic Disease D003863:Depression D005260:Female D015438:Health Behavior D006304:Health Status D006801:Humans D008137:Longitudinal Studies D008297:Male D000076322:Multimorbidity D011788:Quality of Life D012044:Regression Analysis D012424:Rural Population D057566:Self Report D012737:Sex Factors D012959:Socioeconomic Factors D013019:South Africa
activities of daily South Africa elderly population non-communicable diseases rural health