Determinants of quality of life among the elderly population in urban areas of Mangalore, Karnataka

Abstract

Introduction: India is going through a phase of demographic transition progressing to population aging. Poor health-related quality of life (QOL) among the elderly is often associated with physical deterioration, psychological trauma, and mental weakness. The rise in the social and health requirements of older adults has to be addressed optimally and comprehensively. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on elderly individuals of urban Mangalore to determine their QOL. The multistage sampling design was used to obtain 384 elderlies aged 60 years or older. Results: The average QOL was observed among 74.3% of the elderly (mean score: 80.28–91.1). The factors such as age of the individual, gender, marital status, living status, education, occupation, socioeconomic status, interaction with people, use of mobile phones, and social media determined the QOL of the elderly (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Inclusionary measures such as participation in social clubs should be encouraged at the community level to enhance the QOL among the elderly population. Measures to improve the awareness of government schemes should be considered.