Abstract

PEREIRA, Renata Junqueira et al. The influence of sociosanitary conditions on the quality of life of the elderly in a municipality in the Southeast of Brazil. Ciênc. saúde coletiva [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.6, pp. 2907-2917. ISSN 1413-8123.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232011000600028.

This study sought to evaluate sociosanitary conditions and their impact on the quality of life of the elderly living in the Teixeiras Municipality in the Southeast Region (MG) of Brazil. Two questionnaires were used: one created specifically to characterize the population in terms of sociosanitary conditions, and WHOQOL-bref, to evaluate quality of life. The correlation between the sociosanitary conditions and quality of life scores were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Among the variables with a strong correlation with quality of life scores the following stand out: use of medication, need of medical care, lack of private health insurance, comorbidities, sleep problems, and retirement. The results of this study indicate that sociosanitary conditions are high risk factors for low quality of life scores in the elderly. This must be taken into consideration to establish health strategies and policies for this age group.

Keywords : Ageing; Quality of life; Health; WHOQOL-bref.