Background: Ensuring better quality of life to an increasing number of elderly people is emerging as a stiff public health challenge in India. There is paucity of data on impact of functional health on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in India.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the functional status and its association with different dimensions of HRQOL among elderly individuals in an urban setting of Assam, India.
Materials and methods: A total of 300 elderly were recruited in a cross-sectional study from the city of Dibrugarh, Assam, India. Eight domains of HRQOL of participants were assessed using short form 36 (SF-36). Functional status was assessed by using Barthel activity of daily living (ADL) tool. ANOVA test and binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between ADL status and HRQOL.
Results: In all, 34.7% (n = 104) of participants had limitations in one or more ADL items. We also observed a strong graded relationship between ADL and HRQOL scores. Those who scored perfect 100 ADL score also scored highest in all eight HRQOL scales, whereas those with least ADL score scored lowest in all the HRQOL scales. In age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression analysis, the probability of poor health increased with decreasing level of ADL scores.
Conclusion: Findings of the study suggest that decline in ADL can negatively impact different dimensions of HRQOL among elderly individuals. The findings indicate that there is need to pay proper attention for restoring functional health at later life in order to improve quality of life among elderly in India.
Keywords: ADL; HRQOL; functional status.