Effects of Community-potential Factors on the Quality of Life of Urban Elderly of Bangkok Metropolitan

Abstract

Background: The population structure in Thailand has changed to an elderly society. The promotion of quality of life for the urban elderly is essential in order to prepare them to become sustainable community members. Objective: This study aimed at evaluating the effects related to the community-potential factors on the quality of life of urban elderly and developing the guidelines for the capacity of the community to enhance the quality of life of urban elderly. Methods: A mixed-method approach was utilized in two steps. In the first step, quantitative data were collected from 56 elderly people and their caregivers living in an urban area. This data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. In the second step, the qualitative data were also gathered with a semi-structured interview and community surveys from 36 key informants consisting of community leaders, elderly people, partner agencies, community representative groups, public-sector agencies, educational institutions, and people from the civil-society sector to form a focused group in order to analyze their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Content analysis was carried out to analyze this data. Results: The levels of quality of life among the elderly living in the Chan-Kasem community were high. The community potential factors influencing the quality of life of the urban elderly were also high. Results of regression analysis showed that one variable factor affected the quality of life in the elderly (12.6%). Conclusion: Three guideline themes for determining the capacity of the community to enhance the quality of life of the urban elderly were found: 1) building a community network and a community learning process to generate a volunteer group in order to incorporate and solve the elderly’s problems, 2) increasing the capacity and promoting the livelihoods of the elderly, and 3) constructing elderly awareness as a valuable human resource of the community.