“Quality Of Life In Elderly Individuals With Physical Disability Among Rural Population: A Cross Sectional Study”

Abstract

Background : In India, the total population of elderly in 2011 was 8.2% and this number is expected to increase dramatically over 40 years approximately till 19% in 2050. The link between aging and disability is a biological fact, and disability in the elderly is an important health indicator pointing to jeopardized quality of life. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) defines disability as an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Disability has affected the quality of life of the disabled individual mainly in the older population.

Aim : To assess quality of life (QOL) in elderly individuals with physical disability.

Methodology: Research Design – Cross Sectional Study Sampling Method – Purposive Sampling Study Setting (Location of study): The study is done in villages at Ahmednagar district. Targeted Population: Physically Disabled elderly individual aged above 60 in both genders male and female

Result: The WHOQOL BREF Scale’s physical domain showed positive corelation with Kuppuswamy scale which was statistically significant. The study also showed positive correlation of WHOQOL BREF Scale with Katz Index Scale which was statistically significant. The study showed negative correlation of WHOQOL BREF Scale with disability percentage which was statistically significant.

Conclusion: The study concluded that quality of life in elderly physically disabled population of rural area is moderately influenced by their socioeconomic status, their activity of daily living and their disability percentage.