Health-Related Quality of Life, Gender, and Culture of Older People Users of Health Services in the Multicultural Landscape of the City of Ceuta (Spain): A Cross-Sectional Study

J Transcult Nurs. 2016 Nov;27(6):603-610. doi: 10.1177/1043659615597042. Epub 2015 Jul 28.

Abstract

Introduction: Perceptions of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are influenced by sociodemographic variables and by cultural-religious concepts of health, disease, and old age, among others.

Purpose: To assess the HRQOL of older people in a population with a long history of multiculturalism, the city of Ceuta (Spain), and to compare the results with Spanish reference values.

Method: A total of 372 individuals (55.4% females) were interviewed using the Spanish version of the Short Form-36 questionnaire. The subjects' mean age was 70.9 (SD = 5) years: 253 were Christians, 93 Muslims, and 26 Jews, representing the proportions in the overall population of these cultural-religious groups.

Results: HRQOL differs according to the cultural-religious affiliation, which specifically affects social and psychological dimensions.

Discussion and conclusions: All groups obtained lower social function scores than the reference values, especially the Muslim and Jewish groups.

Implications for practice: Health care providers may consider integrating culturally sensitive interventions to improve HRQOL.

Keywords: culture; gender; health; older people; quality of life.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Catholicism / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Cultural Diversity*
  • Female
  • Geriatrics / methods
  • Geriatrics / standards*
  • Health Services / standards*
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Islam / psychology
  • Jews / psychology
  • Male
  • Quality of Life / psychology*
  • Religion and Medicine*
  • Spain
  • Surveys and Questionnaires