OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the quality of life in chronically-ill elderly patients and its relationship with parameters concerning the patients' nutritional status. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Primary health-care centres in Jaen, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 168 chronically-ill elderly outpatients aged from 65 to 89 years. MEASUREMENTS: Quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. A nutritional assessment was undertaken including socio-demographic variables, anthropometric measurements (body-mass index and calf circumference), functional evaluation (Barthel index and Folstein mini-mental status test) and a dietetic questionnaire. The mini-nutritional assessment test was used as an assessment tool to detect nutritional risk. RESULTS: Quality of life in chronically-ill elderly subjects, as determined by the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, which diminishes with age, is independent of anthropometric parameters and a statistically significant difference was found between gender, socio-demographic characteristics, functional capacity, nutritional status and the kind of chronic disease (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The relationship between the quality of life with the patients' socio-demographic characteristics, functional capacity and nutritional status underlines the importance of taking these factors into account in the management of chronically ill patients, especially women.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the quality of life in chronically-ill elderly patients and its relationship with parameters concerning the patients' nutritional status. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Primary health-care centres in Jaen, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 168 chronically-ill elderly outpatients aged from 65 to 89 years. MEASUREMENTS: Quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. A nutritional assessment was undertaken including socio-demographic variables, anthropometric measurements (body-mass index and calf circumference), functional evaluation (Barthel index and Folstein mini-mental status test) and a dietetic questionnaire. The mini-nutritional assessment test was used as an assessment tool to detect nutritional risk. RESULTS: Quality of life in chronically-ill elderly subjects, as determined by the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, which diminishes with age, is independent of anthropometric parameters and a statistically significant difference was found between gender, socio-demographic characteristics, functional capacity, nutritional status and the kind of chronic disease (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The relationship between the quality of life with the patients' socio-demographic characteristics, functional capacity and nutritional status underlines the importance of taking these factors into account in the management of chronically ill patients, especially women.
Authors: B Vellas; H Villars; G Abellan; M E Soto; Y Rolland; Y Guigoz; J E Morley; W Chumlea; A Salva; L Z Rubenstein; P Garry Journal: J Nutr Health Aging Date: 2006 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 4.075
Authors: Upali W Jayasinghe; Judith Proudfoot; Christopher A Barton; Cheryl Amoroso; Chris Holton; Gawaine Powell Davies; Justin Beilby; Mark F Harris Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2009-06-03 Impact factor: 3.186