Table 1.
Characteristics of the study sample based on a median split of the ‘overall quality of life’ variable
| Total (n = 83) | Low overall quality of life (≤40 points) (n = 47) | High overall quality of life (>40 points) (n = 36) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 82.6 (8.1) | 81.4 (8.4) | 84.2 (7.5) | 0.115 |
| Sex | ||||
| Female | 86 % | 87 % | 84 % | 0.617 |
| Male | 14 % | 13 % | 16 % | |
| Living arrangement | ||||
| Alone | 75 % | 74 % | 75 % | 0.956 |
| With others | 25 % | 26 % | 25 % | |
| Education | ||||
| Elementary school or no degree | 53 % | 72 % | 53 % | 0.150 |
| Secondary school | 35 % | 40 % | 45 % | |
| University entrance diploma or higher degree | 12 % | 8 % | 22 % | |
| Frailty status (score) | 2.83 (1.1) | 3.18 (0.9) | 2.36 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Prefrail | 35 % | 19 % | 56 % | 0.001 |
| Frail | 65 % | 81 % | 44 % | |
| Nutritional status (score) | 26.4 (2.8) | 25.9 (3.1) | 27.1 (2.3) | 0.071 |
| Normal nourished | 43 % | 45 % | 61 % | 0.032 |
| At risk of malnutrition | 33 % | 40 % | 39 % | |
| Malnourished | 8 % | 15 % | 0 % | |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.1 (4.5) | 27.3 (4.6) | 26.9 (4.5) | 0.724 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Cardiac insufficiency | 17 % | 15 % | 28 % | 0.149 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 4 % | 2 % | 6 % | 0.576 |
| Hypertension | 60 % | 74 % | 69 % | 0.612 |
| Diabetes mellitus type 2 | 14 % | 23 % | 6 % | 0.020 |
| Chronic rheumatism | 7 % | 15 % | 0 % | 0.015 |
| WHOQOL-BREF domains | ||||
| Overall quality of life | 43.1 (16.5) | 32.3 (12.4) | 57.2 (8.6) | <0.001 |
| Physical health | 47.7 (16.7) | 42.3 (14.1) | 54.7 (17.4) | 0.001 |
| Psychological health | 61.6 (16.0) | 54.7 (14.3) | 70.5 (13.7) | <0.001 |
| Social relationships | 74.4 (21.7) | 74.2 (22.6) | 74.7 (20.8) | 0.923 |
| Environment | 75.0 (12.3) | 71.3 (12.8) | 79.9 (8.9) | 0.001 |
| WHOQOL-OLD domains | ||||
| Sensory abilities | 48.0 (22.6) | 46.6 (24.0) | 49.9 (20.8) | 0.517 |
| Autonomy | 53.6 (14.9) | 49.5 (15.3) | 59.1 (12.5) | 0.003 |
| Past, present and future activities | 54.3 (12.8) | 51.4 (12.1) | 58.1 (12.9) | 0.021 |
| Social participation | 43.7 (12.8) | 37.8 (11.1) | 51.4 (10.7) | <0.001 |
| Physical activity parameters | ||||
| Daily physical activity (score) | 13.6 (0.0–125.6) | 13.6 (0.0–80.0) | 28.8 (0.0–125.9) | 0.009 |
| Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (kg) | 16.9 (3.4) | 16.5 (3.3) | 17.4 (3.3) | 0.274 |
| Handgrip strength (kg) | 16.8 (7.2) | 15.2 (7.6) | 18.9 (6.2) | 0.023 |
| Short physical performance battery (score) | 4.9 (2.8) | 4.3 (2.6) | 5.6 (2.9) | 0.039 |
| Balance skills (score) | 2.0 (1.3) | 1.7 (1.2) | 2.4 (1.2) | 0.008 |
| Gait speed (score) | 1.9 (1.0) | 1.8 (1.0) | 1.9 (1.1) | 0.551 |
| Chair stands (score) | 1.0 (0.0–4.0) | 1.0 (0.0–4.0) | 1.0 (0.0–4.0) | 0.381 |
The data are presented in mean (standard deviation) or median (minimum–maximum) or percentages
Group differences: Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical data, t test or Mann–Whitney U test for continuous data