여성독거노인에서 가족 및 사회적 관계와 건강관련 삶의 질과의 관련성

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study was performed to explain associations between family and social relation, and the health-related quality of life elderly women living alone. The subjects of the study were 478 elderly women living alone above the age of 65 who received senior care services in five districts in Gwangju. For analysis of the data collected, with the use of the SAS 9.1 this study conducted a crosstab analysis, a t-test, a ANOVA, and a multiple-regression analysis. With respect to the five areas relating to quality of life, 85.6% of the subjects responded that they had pain and discomfort and 77.6% responded that they had problems in mobility. When they had close relatives or neighbors, made contact to them more often, were engaged in social activities or participated in them very frequently, the possibility for them to have problems in health-related quality of life decreased significantly. The mean score of health-related quality of life was 0.729±0.167 and the score increased significantly when they meet friends or neighbors everyday, and participated in social activities more often. Also it was discovered that age, educational background, drinking, the number of chronic diseases, sleeping hours, and regular exercise were related to quality of life. In conclusions, health-related quality of life the female elderly living alone was high when they had social relations or participated in social activities more often. It is suggested that if effective strategies to encourage them to participate in more social activities are developed, their health-related quality of life will be improved.

Key words: Elderly women living alone, family and social relation, health-related quality of life.