Quality of life, fatness and selected health parameters in adult Polish population of 50–90 years of age
Institute of Health Sciences, University of Opole, Poland
Department of Anthropology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Wrocław University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Pharmacology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland
Introduction
Healthy aging is expected to have an impact on quality of life.
Aim of the research
This study aims to assess the quality of life of Polish adults aged 50-90 years and its associations with body fatness and selected health parameters.
Material and methods
There were 1,553 people aged 50–90 examined. The Polish version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life short questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF) was used to assess quality of life. Bone mineral density, forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second were measured. Height, body weight, waist and hip circumferences were measured. The body mass index (BMI) and the waist-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated.
Results
Men rate their quality of life more positively than women in the somatic, psychological and environmental domains. The somatic domain shows significant associations with body dimensions, and body fat distribution as measured by the WHR index. Further independent variables showing associations with this domain are T-ratio% and Z-ratio%, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, gender and education level. The social domain is significantly influenced by WHR and forced vital lung capacity. However, the environmental domain of quality of life remains significantly influenced by the higher level of education of the respondent. Good and very good health was declared by respondents with a lower BMI and a lower percentage of body fat, both in the group of men and women.
Conclusions
Normal body weight and body fat distribution, as well as higher bone density and better respiratory function are conducive to a better quality of life.
Keywords
aging, quality of life, body weights and measures, bone density, forced expiratory volume
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