Quality of life of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asian countries: A cross-sectional study across six countries

Roy Rillera Marzo, Praval Khanal, Absar Ahmad, Farooq Azam Rathore, Shekhar Chauhan, Akansha Singh, Sunil Shrestha, Ayesha AlRifai, Masoud Lotfizadeh, Delan Ameen Younus, Md. Arif Billah, Farzana Rahman, Yalini Sivaladchanam, Devi Mohan, Tin Tin Su

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18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Few studies have explored the determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying these factors may help implement appropriate policies to enhance HRQoL in the elderly. Therefore, we aimed to identify the predictors of physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS) scores of HRQoL in selected six low-and middle-income Asian countries. Methods: We conducted an online survey of older people aged ≥55 years in six countries: Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Palestine, and Sri Lanka. The Stark QoL questionnaire was used to measure the PCS and MCS scores. Univariate and multiple variable analyses after adjusting for confounders were performed to identify the possible predictors of PCS and MCS. Results: A total of 1644 older people (69.1 ± 7.8 years, range 55–97 years, Female: 50.9%) responded to the survey. We documented age, country of residence, marital status, number of male children, current employment status, and health insurance, ability to pay household bills, frequency of family members visits and receiving support during COVID-19 pandemic predicted both PCS and MCS. However, gender, residence, and number of female children were associated with PCS only (all p <0.05). Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors such as age, country of residence, marital status, number of male children, current employment status, health insurance, ability to pay household bills, frequency of family members visiting family members, and receiving support during the COVID-19 pandemic affecting both physical and mental quality of life. These results can guide formulating health care planning policies to enhance QoL during COVID-19 and future pandemics in the elderly.

Original languageEnglish
Article number365
Number of pages11
JournalLife
Volume12
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2022

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Mental health
  • Older people
  • Physical health
  • Quality of life

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