A Community Quality Of Life Of Older Persons And Influencing Factors

[Objective] The study aims to investigate the quality of life of the elderly in community and analyze influencing factors. Then the recommendations have been put forward to improve the quality of old people's life in community based on this investigation as well as document review.[Methods] Stratified cluster sampling method was employed for this research. 4 communities among 13 communities in Shi Men Er Road area, Jing'an Direction of Shanghai were selected according to living and economical conditions. With information of official household registration and communities' population record, and after related training, community doctors from Shi Men Er Road community health service center made a questionnaire survey among residents over 60-year-old in these communities. Survey data was put into SPSS data base, and analyzed by using frequency analysis, T test, single-factor analysis, multi-regression, and other statistical analysis. [Results] Survey results showed that most old people in Shanghai Shi Men Er Road Community can be self-help and take care of themselves. Their economical conditions were good, most of them reported medical expenditure was acceptable and their families provided support for them. Most old people had health insurance coverage. Measured average life quality of these old people was quite good and above society's average. However, the rate of having chronic diseases among these old people was relately very high. Ratio of suffering from one kind of chronic disease was about 88.7%; up to 17.2 % for melancholia. Factors affecting old people's life's quality included gender, age, marriage, living condition, family member's average incoming, daily expenses, ability of daily living independence, main care provider, hobby, family support, status of taking part in community activities, chronic disease number and severity degree, whether having melancholia and diabetes. But there's no relationship with education degree, career before retire, health insurance coverage, disease severity degree of consort.[Conclusion] The study proposes to work hard to improve quality of old people's life in community step by step from following aspects: community health services, family and society. For community health services, we should pay more attention to chronic diseases management, old people's spirit health indoctrination and psychology interventions. Family should offer more support and attention to old people, provide them independence and control right on economy, and make it clear how to take care of old people. For society, it should improve old people's economic income step and step, enlarge the range and improve the degree of security for old people without income. Meanwhile, it is important to provide a supportable society environment and an active living atmosphere, and pay attention to informal support.