Associations between health-related quality of life, body mass index, health status and sociodemographic variables in geriatric patients and non-hospitalized older people: A comparative cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in geriatric patients and non-hospitalized older people are lacking, and the associations among HRQoL, body mass index (BMI) and health status are not sufficiently investigated in these groups. Aim: This study aims to describe and compare HRQoL in a sample of geriatric patients and non-hospitalized people >70 years. It further aims to investigate the associations between HRQoL, BMI, health status and sociodemographic variables in geriatric patients and non-hospitalized people >70 years. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 107 geriatric patients and 328 non-hospitalized older people. HRQoL was measured with the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) and BMI was divided into three classes: underweight (<22 kg/m2), normal weight (22–27 kg/m2) and overweight (>27 kg/m2). Results: All SF-36 scores were lower for the geriatric patients than for the non-hospitalized people ( p < .001). Underweight (BMI <22 kg/m2) was registered for 43.9% of the geriatric patients and for 13.7% of the non-hospitalized people. No significant associations were found between the SF-36 subscale scores and underweight, but overweight was associated with lower scores on physical functioning ( B: –8.7) and vitality ( B: –6.8) compared to those with normal BMI ( p < .05). The participants with rheumatic diseases, pulmonary diseases, hypertension and digestive diseases had significantly lower scores on most SF-36 scales reflecting physical health. Conclusion: HRQoL is substantially lower in geriatric patients than in non-hospitalized older people. The negative effects of both overweight and morbidity on HRQoL indicate that it is important to monitor weight and disease symptoms to promote HRQoL in older people, whether hospitalized or non-hospitalized.