Comparative study: Assess the quality of life of elderly people residing at rural and urban areas of Dhaboi taluka, Vadodara, Gujarat

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7397653/v1

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Comparative study: Assess the quality of life of elderly people residing at rural and urban areas of Dhaboi taluka, Vadodara, Gujarat

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7397653/v1

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Concerning the demographic characteristics, the Quality of life for elderly people is pleasant quite significant by an elderly civilization. There are several suggestions in relation to quality of life in elderly populations which are quite different from the overall population. In India, there is very limited consciousness towards the special requirements of elderly people which occurs due to non-awareness towards the basics of elderly care (physical, psychological, socio-economical and spiritual support). The present study mainly aims towards three-fold objectives that include i) assessing Quality of life of elderly residing at rural and urban areas, ii) compare the quality of life of elderly population to the general population residing at rural and urban areas and iii) to create an association about quality of life of ageing people residing at rural and urban areas with their corresponding demographic variable. A community based quantitative method which is a non- experimental comparative survey research design, was adopted among 300 elderly selected from rural (n= 150) and urban (n= 150) areas of Vadodara by using non-probability convenient sampling technique. The WHO- modified quality of life scale was used and a statistical software SPSS version 23.0 was used for analysis. The results indicated that the overall mean score of rural QOL was (68.02 ± 12.56) significantly higher as compared to urban QOL (51.62 ± 6.82) [Table 1]. The rural QOL was considered with the number of children (χ2 = 11.402) and status of living (χ2 = 11.231) with whereas in urban QOL it was considered with the age (χ2 = 18.491), occupation (χ2 = 16.714) and income (χ2 = 9.535) was found to be significant at 0.05 level [Table 2]. The study provides an outlook that strategies and agendas associated to elderly should be threw without ignoring the requirements of elderly people. Further training of volunteer workers, health care specialists, and family members on the care of senior residents should be applied. It is to be noted that Quality of life of elderly can be improved with the support of family members.

Growing older is a typical, inherent biological occurrence. Globally, the old population is aging, with developing nations seeing a faster rate of this trend [1]. The elderly's life become more challenging when health issues are combined with difficulties in supplying basic necessities such as nourishment, housing, personal care, and social contacts [2].Over time, the percentage of old persons has been rising. For the first time in history, there were adults over 60 than under five in the world in 2020. By 2050, there will be 2 billion adults over 60 worldwide, up from 841 million in the current population [3]. In India, the proportion of senior people was nearly 7% in 2001, but it is anticipated to climb to 11.6% by 2026 [4]. The WHO describes Quality of life for the elderly as a individual's valuation of their family in life in relative to their community's culture and values, in addition to the norms, expectations, objectives, and concerns of the aged [5].The concept of old quality of life involves a wide range of characteristics, such as possibilities for skill preservation and enhancement, an individual's relationships with their environment, and their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual health. Ageing, functional decline, economic dependency, social isolation, spiritual function, and youth autonomy all have a detrimental effect on quality of life. [6].

When comparing the lifestyles of elderly people in rural and urban areas, noticeable differences emerge. Seniors living in remote locations may encounter specific obstacles, such as inadequate contact to healthcare services, social isolation, and reduced availability of basic services. These disorders may have a negative influence on their emotional and physical fitness, reducing their quality of life. Conversely, urban surroundings often provide more opportunity for social contact, better healthcare facilities, and simpler access to services. However, there are also drawbacks to city living, such as greater housing expenses, environmental pollution, and the stress of leading a fast-paced lifestyle. A study [7] found that seniors in urban communities reported significantly poorer levels of quality of life in the physical (51.2 ± 3.6) and psychological (51.3 ± 2.5) domains compared to those in rural settings. Compared to the urban population, the older population in rural areas reported a significantly worse quality of life in the social relation category (55.9 ± 2.7) and the environmental domain (57.1 ± 3.2). A study [8] carried out a quality of life assess for urban and rural areas of Bangalore, South India. The authors reported that the quality of life (QOL) of elder adults in rural places is much poorer than that of elder adults in urban places, and the QOL of elder adults in urban places was highly correlated with criteria like sex, education, occupation, and financial dependency. Despite most variables, older persons living in rural zones had a much lower quality of life. To raise the quality of life of older peoples living in rural zones, healthcare and social services must be improved. A work reported by

A study [9] emphasizes on the quality of life for old age people in urban field training zone of a tertiary care institute of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat. The authors conclude that the general quality of life (QOL) was decent to outstanding; however, the eco-friendly field was subpar. This can be addressed by the family working together and by utilizing the network of geriatric support organizations. Social aspects including gender, marital status, and level of education all affect how well respondents view their quality of life. An improvement in the society's educational level could lead to a positive QOL outcome. Significant approaches have been considered pertaining to the comparison of QOL of elder citizens for rural and urban zones.

The present study therefore concludes about the comparison of QOL for elderly people both in rural and urban zones in order to identify the necessities and challenges faced by them. Through a combined of quantitative and qualitative methods, this study will assess the lived experiences of elderly people in both areas rural and urban settings. The findings are predictable to offer valuable insights into how location-specific factors donate to the overall welfare of elder adults, informing future policies and programs designed to improve the quality of life for this growing demographic.

A study employs a comparative cross-sectional design to investigate the quality of life between elderly individuals in rural and urban settings. Among senior citizens living in rural and urban areas of Dhaboi taluka, Vadodara, a non-experimental comparative survey study design using a community-based quantitative approach was used from October to November 2022. A convenient non-probabilistic sampling strategy was applied. Data were gathered using the WHO Modified Structured Quality of Life questionnaire. The four domain ratings indicate how each person feels about their quality of life in a certain domain. Every research participant received a questionnaire that has undergone pilot testing. The researcher has made contact with the contributors, described the purpose of the investigation, and secured their informed consent in writing. The correlation coefficient of Karl Pearson was used to establish the reliability. The result was r = 0.8. Thus, the tool's reliability was determined. Version 23.0 of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Studies) was being used to analyze the data. Analysis was carried out using both the inferential and descriptive statistics data.

Sample size calculation

As per 2021 Survey the Dabhoi Taluka, Vadodara total populace of approximately 66000.Assuming a similar or slightly higher percentage for Dabhoi Taluka in 2022, we can estimate the old age population to be around 10% of the total population.

Estimated Elderly Population in 2021 = 66000×0.10 = 6600

The proposed sample size for the survey has been calculation by using following formula:

$\:n=\frac{{z}^{2}\times\:P(1-P)}{{e}^{2}}$ ---------------- (1)

$\:{n}_{\text{a}\text{d}\text{j}\text{u}\text{s}\text{t}\text{e}\text{d}\mathbf{}}=\frac{n}{1+\left(\frac{n-1}{N}\right)}$ ---------------- (2)

n = Calculate initial sample size

z = Confidence level = 1.96 (for 95% confidence).

P = Proportion = 0.5.

e = Margin of error = 5% (0.05)

n_adjusted = Adjust for finite population

N = Total elderly population in Dabhoi Taluka = 6600

$$\:n=\frac{{\left(1.96\right)}^{2}\times\:0.5(1-0.5)}{{\left(0.05\right)}^{2}}$$

$$\:n=\frac{3.8416\times\:0.25}{0.0025}$$

$$\:\varvec{n}=384.16$$

$$\:{n}_{\text{a}\text{d}\text{j}\text{u}\text{s}\text{t}\text{e}\text{d}\mathbf{}}=\frac{384.16}{1+\left(\frac{384.16-1}{6600}\right)}$$

$$\:{n}_{\text{a}\text{d}\text{j}\text{u}\text{s}\text{t}\text{e}\text{d}\mathbf{}}=\frac{384.16}{1+0.058}$$

$$\:{\varvec{n}}_{\mathbf{a}\mathbf{d}\mathbf{j}\mathbf{u}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{t}\mathbf{e}\mathbf{d}\mathbf{}}=363$$

Based on the calculations, the required sample size is 363. However, due to logistical constraints and the availability of participants, we considered 300 participants for this study.

The socio demographic characteristics reveals that in rural areas majority [41(27.3%)] belonged to 76–80 years age group, [101(67.3%)] were male, Most [114(76%)] of them were Hindu, Majority [95(63.3%)] were married, Majority elderly [60(40%)] had higher secondary education, most of elderly [49(32.7%)] were self-employed, most of had [73(48.5%] 10000–20000 income, majority elderly had [107(71.3%)] two children, most of elderly were [61(40.7%)] living with family, majority of elderly were [81(54%)] living in own house, and most of elderly had [58(38.7%)] pensions as a source of money whereas in urban areas majority [46(30.7%)] belonged to 76–80 years age group, [101(67.3%)] were male, Most [116(77.3%)] of them were Hindu, Majority [88(58.7%)] were married, Majority elderly [70(46.7%)] had higher secondary education, most of elderly [53(35.3%)] were self-employed, most of had [66(44%] 10000–20000 income, majority elderly had [108(72%)] two children, most of elderly had [62(41.3%)] living with non-relative, majority of elderly had [76(50.7%)] living in a rented house, and most of elderly had [68(45.3%)] pensions source of money.

Table 1

Comparison of domain wise quality of life of elderly residing at rural and urban areas
Sr No	Domain	Rural elderly QOL score			Urban elderly QOL score			t value	Inference
Sr No	Domain	Mean	Mean%	SD	Mean	Mean%	SD	t value	Inference
1	Physical	15.55	51.83	3.67	11.68	38.93	2.48	10.684	S
2	Psychological	17.50	58.33	3.37	11.73	39.1	2.40	17.069	S
3	Socio Economical	21.47	47.71	5.64	18.24	40.53	3.34	6.018	S
4	Spiritual	13.48	53.92	2.85	9.95	39.8	2.74	10.934	S
5	Overall QOL score	68.02	52.32	12.56	51.62	39.70	6.82	14.048	S

Above table reveals that Overall mean score of rural QOL was (68.02 ± 12.56) significant higher as compared to urban QOL (51.62 ± 6.82).The unpaired ‘t’ test showed significance difference in quality of life of elderly residing at rural and urban areas of Vadodara.

Table 2

Association between the quality of life of elderly residing at rural and urban areas with their demographic variables
Sr No.	Variables		Rural Area						Urban Area
			Quality of life score			Chi square value	d.f.	Inference	Quality of life score			Chi square value	d.f.	Inference
			Good	Average	Poor	Chi square value	d.f.	Inference	Good	Average	Poor	Chi square value	d.f.	Inference
1	Age	60–65	17	22	0	15.354	8	NS	0	30	7	18.491	8	S
		66–70	8	17	3				1	28	0
		71–75	7	26	2				0	31	4
		76–80	17	22	2				3	43	0
		Above 80	2	3	2				0	3	0
2	Gender	Male	40	56	5	4.492	2	NS	4	88	9	3.273	2	NS
2	Gender	Female	11	34	4	4.492	2	NS	0	47	2	3.273	2	NS
3	Religion	Hindu	28	48	7	5.653	6	NS	4	105	7	4.905	6	NS
		Muslim	3	10	2				0	17	1
		Christian	2	4	0				0	6	1
		Others	2	3	0				0	7	2
4	Marital status	Married	32	56	7	5.333	4	NS	1	77	10	9.259	4	NS
		Unmarried	17	22	2				3	43	0
		Widower	2	12	0				0	15	1
		Divorced/Separated	0	0	0				0	0	0
		Urban area	0	0	0				4	135	11
5	Education	Illiterate	5	14	2	8.967	8	NS	0	18	0	7.275	8	NS
		Primary Education	14	14	0				0	20	4
		Secondary Education	8	26	3				1	29	3
		HigherSecondaryEducation	22	34	4				3	63	4
		Graduate and above	2	2	0				0	5	0
6	Occupation	Unemployed	4	4	0	6.489	8	NS	0	8	0	16.714	8	S
		Agriculture	0	0	0				0	0	0
		Self Employed	20	26	3				4	49	0
		Labourer	15	29	2				0	40	7
		Retired	9	15	2				0	21	3
		Any other	3	16	2				0	17	1
7	Income	< 10,000	11	25	0	5.569	4	NS	0	35	3	9.535	4	S
		10,000–20,000	23	43	7				1	57	8
		20,000–30.000	17	22	2				3	43	0
		Above 30,000	0	0	0				0	0	0
8	No of child	One child	2	3	2	11.402	4	S	0	3	0	3.91	4	NS
		Two children	40	60	7				4	94	10
		More than two children	9	27	0				0	38	1
		No child	0	0	0				0	0	0
9	Currently live with	Living alone	6	22	0	11.231	4	S	0	27	4	3.909	4	NS
		Living with family	18	36	7				1	53	3
		Living with non-relative	27	32	2				3	55	4
		Other	0	0	0				0	0	0
10	Current living arrangement	Living in own House	27	49	5	0.039	2	NS	1	64	9	5.792	2	NS
10	Current living arrangement	Living in a Rented House	24	41	4	0.039	2	NS	3	71	2	5.792	2	NS
11	Primary source of money	Savings	2	2	2	13.106	8	NS	0	7	0	5.65	8	NS
		Pensions	22	34	2				3	61	4
		Family	9	23	4				0	28	1
		Employment	15	26	1				1	33	5
		Other	3	5	0				0	6	1

Above table Shows statistically significant association found in the rural QOL with the no of child and status of living with whereas in urban QOL with the age, occupation and income.

The present study was conducted to assess QOL of elderly residing at rural -urban areas of Dhaboi taluka, Vadodara. The overall QOL mean score 68.02 of elderly residing at rural areas and 51.62 of elderly residing at urban areas [Table 1] which was consistent with findings of the study conducted by Rashmi Kumari, et al [10] in Jammu, Priyanka Amonkar et al. [11], in Raigad, V. K. Usha, et al [12] in Kerala, Hannah Werling [13] in Sweden. Mean score for physical, psychological, socio economical and spiritual domains were 15.55 ± 3.67, 17.50 ± 3.37, 21.47 ± 5.64 and 13.48 ± 2.85 at rural areas and 11.68 ± 2.48, 11.73 ± 2.40, 18.24 ± 3.34, and 9.95 ± 2.74 at urban areas respectively, with a maximum score in socio economical domain [Table 1], the finding supported by Shah V R [9]. Mudey et al. [7] in their study conducted that QOL of rural old age people was better in physical and psychological domain, whereas QOL in urban old age was better in community relationship and eco-friendly domain.

This studies shows that statistically significant different between the quality of life of old age people residing at rural and urban fields with their demographic variable. The rural QOL was considered with the number of children (χ² = 11.402) and status of living (χ² = 11.231) with whereas in urban QOL it was considered with the age (χ² = 18.491), occupation (χ² = 16.714) and income (χ² = 9.535) was found to be significant at 0.05 level [Table 2].

The elderly people had higher scores of quality of life at rural areas than residing at urban areas both in most domains and facets. These information suggested that the senior’s citizens residing at urban areas may be negatively impacting the quality of life. Care should be taken to elderly residents at urban area, subsequently more impact on quality of life occurs in their case. Notwithstanding these variations, the results highlight the significance of customized interventions to meet the particular requirements of senior populations in both contexts. Ensuring a suitable living environment, expanding social support networks, and improving healthcare accessibility are essential for enhancing the quality of life of old age citizens. Health professionals can pay attention to identify the diseases, preferring the implementation practices associated with diseases prevention and health upgrade, mainly when it refers to the physical disorders. While creating and executing initiatives meant to assist the aging population, policymakers and other relevant parties need to take these things into account. It is noteworthy that the process of aging, disabilities and disorders of old age cannot be completely barred however appropriate actions can be taken that would check this development, thereby leading to a longer period with good health and thus protecting their QOL.

Source of Funding

The work did not receive funding from any sources.

Author Contribution

Ms. Lopa Patel visualization, research, conceptualization, methodology, analysis and interpretation of data and revision and editing Dr. Nitesh Patel is responsible the article drafting or major revision for significant intellectual content and final version approval.No other journal or publication outlet has received this manuscript for evaluation or submission. No organization with a direct or indirect financial interest in the topics covered in the article is associated with the author.

Acknowledgement

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Ethical Committee members and Medical officer of Health, Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) for their invaluable support and resources, allowing me to conduct this research. Special thanks to our guide for her exceptional mentorship and guidance.

Ethical consideration

Approval of Institutional Ethics Committee & Medical officer of Health, Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) was obtained prior to the conduction of the study. Throughout the process the confidentiality and privacy of the information gathered were guaranteed.

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No competing interests reported.

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You are reading this latest preprint version

Comparative study: Assess the quality of life of elderly people residing at rural and urban areas of Dhaboi taluka, Vadodara, Gujarat

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Version 1

Abstract

Introduction

Methodology for the study

Sample size calculation

The proposed sample size for the survey has been calculation by using following formula:

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Declarations

Source of Funding

Author Contribution

Acknowledgement

Ethical consideration

References

Additional Declarations

Status:

Version 1