MORBIDITY AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY-OF-LIFE AMONG AMBULANT ELDERLY CITIZENS

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) was analyzed in relation to 16 d ifferent diagnoses common for ambulant, community living 76-year-old u rban citizens participating in the longitudinal population study of el derly in Goteborg (H 70), Sweden. HRQL of the total sample was good, b ut was impaired by illness, mostly in the form of anginal pain, urinar y incontinence, locomotor and mental disorders. The HRQL of those suff ering from e.g. chronic lung disorders or under treatment for hyperten sion or cancer, however, seemed to be little influenced. Sleep was imp aired regardless of being ill or healthy, except for anginal pain, upp er extremity disorders and back pain which had a significantly detrime ntal impact on sleep. The degree of female complaints surpassed those of men for pain, emotions, sleep and mobility, and for household activ ities and hobbies. Within the separate diagnostic groups, however, gen der differences were few. Generally, HRQL decreased with multimorbidit y. In the emotional and social dimensions, however, HRQL was very litt le influenced until health was much impaired (reaching 4 or more diagn oses). The studied diagnoses did not explain more than up to 1/3 of th e QL decrease, thus suggesting that factors other than health have an impact or that ill health is considered an acceptable component of agi ng. However, most of the diagnoses seemed to cause much distress in co mmon daily life, especially anginal pain, urinary incontinence, locomo tor problems, visual impairment, and mental disorders.