Quality of life and associations with health-related behaviours among older adults with increased cardiovascular risk

Thara Govindaraju; Tracy A McCaffrey; John J McNeil; Christopher M Reid; Ben J Smith; Duncan J Campbell; Danny Liew; Alice J Owen

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2022.01.025

Quality of life and associations with health-related behaviours among older adults with increased cardiovascular risk

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2022 May;32(5):1146-1153. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2022.01.025. Epub 2022 Jan 29.

Authors

Thara Govindaraju¹, Tracy A McCaffrey², John J McNeil¹, Christopher M Reid³, Ben J Smith⁴, Duncan J Campbell⁵, Danny Liew¹, Alice J Owen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
² Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁵ St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: alice.owen@monash.edu.

PMID: 35260311
DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2022.01.025

Abstract

Background and aims: A better understanding of the relationship between cardiovascular disease risk factors and quality of life (QoL) in older age is needed to inform development of risk reduction strategies. This cross-sectional study investigated the association of QoL with health-related behaviours in older adults at risk of heart failure.

Methods and results: Older adults (N = 328) at risk of heart failure residing in Melbourne, Australia, provided data on QoL and health-related behaviours including physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol consumption. Multiple linear regression modelling was used to examine associations between health-related behaviours, QoL and its constituent domains. After adjustment for age, gender, body mass index and comorbidities, current smoking was found to have a negative association with the mental component score (MCS) of QoL (β = -0.174, p ≤ 0.01), with a positive association seen between MCS and physical activity (β = 0.130, p = 0.01). Current alcohol use had a positive association with the physical component score (PCS) (β = 0.120, p = 0.02) and saturated fat intake consumption had a negative association with the physical functioning domain of QoL (β = -0.105, p = 0.03) but was not associated with either PCS or MCS.

Conclusion: Engagement of older adults at increased cardiovascular risk with behavioural risk factor modification using QoL as a driver of change may offer new opportunities to promote healthy ageing. Development of such strategies should consider that for some behaviours which are cardiovascular risk factors (alcohol intake, in particular), the positive association to QoL is complicated and needs further deliberation.

Keywords: Alcohol consumption; Chronic disease; Health-related behaviour; Physical activity; Quality of life; Smoking.

Copyright © 2022 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Cardiovascular Diseases* / diagnosis
Cardiovascular Diseases* / epidemiology
Cardiovascular Diseases* / prevention & control
Cross-Sectional Studies
Health Behavior
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Heart Failure*
Humans
Quality of Life
Risk Factors