Quality of life among community-dwelling elderly in rural and urban areas of Himalayan region, Northeast India: An analysis of factors affecting well-being

Background:There is a dearth of literature on the quality of life (QOL) experienced by the elderly population in the hilly terrains of the Himalayan region. The objective of this study was to highlight the QOL among community-dwelling elderly residing in rural and urban areas of the Himalayan region, Northeast India.Materials and Method:A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 450 participants (324 in rural and 126 in urban areas) aged 60 years and above. The QOL score was assessed with the help of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life-Brief Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Mann-Whitney U test was performed to find out the difference in QOL between rural and urban areas. Binary logistic regression was conducted to find the association of QOL with demographic variables.Results:The total mean QOL scores of elderlies in rural areas (39.4 +/- 11.3) were significantly lower compared to urban areas (51.1 +/- 11.5). QOL scores in all four domains were found to be low among elderly living in rural areas as compared to urban areas. Among the four domains, environmental QOL was found to be the lowest in both rural (29.5 +/- 16.0) and urban areas (46.5 +/- 17.2). Determinants of QOL differ in urban and rural areas.Conclusion:QOL was found to be significantly lower among the elderly residing in rural areas as compared to urban areas. Targeted interventions and policies are necessary to address environmental challenges to improve the overall QOL of the elderly.