Using the SF-36 to determine perceived health-related quality of life in rural Idaho seniors.

The purpose of this study was to establish the perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people aged 65 and older in rural southeastern Idaho. Ninety-five people aged 65 and older completed the Short Form 36 version 2 (SF-36 v2), a valid and reliable HRQoL instrument. Subject scores were then compared to established normative values for the general U.S. adult population and specifically to normative values for people aged 65 and older. In general, the participant's HRQoL was lower than that of the general population. However, females aged 75 and older had higher physical component summary (PCS) scores than their age- or gender-matched mates, and PCS scores of all participants aged 75 and older were higher than those of their age-matched mates. Results of a regression analysis indicated that number of prescription medications taken (p = 0.004) was the only variable predictive of PCS scores. The results of this study show a decrease in the physical aspects of HRQoL of participants, signifying that HRQoL does decline with age. Results suggest that participants aged 75 and older have a higher HRQoL than suspected, which could indicate that rural residence is not an immediate indicator of decreased quality of life in the elderly.