Factors associated with lower quality of life in Brazilian elderly people

Amauri Dalla-Corte MD, MsC¹, José L Vieira MD, PhD², Irenio G.Silva Filho MD, PhD³,  César L. Reichert MD, PhD⁴ and

Roberta R Dalla-Corte MD, PhD¹

¹Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

²Institute of Cardiology of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

³Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

⁴Physiology Exercise Laboratory, Feevale University Center, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil

*Corresponding  Author E-mail: robertarigod@gmail.com; Tel.: +55 5132222856

Accepted 14 January, 2015

Abstract

To investigate the relation of lower scores of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) and depressive symptoms, physical activity level, obesity, alcoholism, and smoking in community-dwelling elders. This is a cross-sectional population-based study, which included 379 community-dwelling elders from Novo Hamburgo, southern Brazil. The level of physical activity was estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and depressive symptoms were detected according to the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale. The relation between the level of physical activity and depressive symptoms with WHOQOL-BREF scores was analyzed by logistic regression. The risk of having lower scores in all four WHOQOL-BREF domains was significantly elevated in the groups with depressive symptoms irrespective of physical activity status. This work highlights the burden that depressive symptoms may have on the quality of life of older adults over and above other lifestyle factors.

Keywords: Quality of life, WHOQOL, depressive symptoms, physical activity, elderly.