Page 108 - GHES-2-3

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Social support and quality of life in Indian elderly

2.1.1. Inclusion criteria coefficients. The WHOQOL-BREF scale demonstrated a

Participants aged 60 years and older who were permanent high level of reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient
residents of the district and present during data collection of 0.92. This finding contrasts with a study by Mondal
periods were eligible for inclusion. Before participation, all et al. (2020), which reported a lower Cronbach’s alpha
individuals provided informed consent. coefficient of 0.76 for the same scale. For the MSPSS,
our study yielded a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.75,
2.1.2. Exclusion criteria while Zimet et al. (1988) reported a higher value (0.88)
in their research. Despite these variations, the Cronbach’s
Participants were excluded if they were critically ill, unable
to communicate verbally, or had hearing impairments. In alpha coefficients in the present study indicate good
addition, refusal to provide consent resulted in exclusion internal consistency for the different facets, with values
from the study. ranging from 0.65 to 0.93, as suggested by the WHO (The
WHOQOL Group, 1998).
2.2. Data collection
2.4. Statistical analysis
Sociodemographic data encompassing variables such as
gender, age, marital status, caste, religion, educational The statistical analyses were carried out using STATA
status, wealth category, and employment status were version 16.0 (StataCorp, USA). Descriptive analyses and
gathered through the administration of a structured correlation analyses were employed to assess the data,
questionnaire. In addition, the data collection process with a specific focus on person correlation analysis for
involved the utilization of a 26-item the World Health evaluating the associations among numerical variables.
Organization Quality of Life Scale-BREF version A p ≤ 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.
(WHOQOL-BREF) scale and a 12-item Multidimensional 3. Results
Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) scale.
3.1. Characteristics of the studied population
QOL was evaluated using the WHOQOL_BREF scale
developed in 1996 (WHO, 1996). This scale comprises The social demographic characteristics of the participants
a total of 26 items, categorized into four subdomains: (N = 476), as extracted from the self-administered
physical QOL, psychological QOL, social QOL, and questionnaire, are shown in Table 1. Among the
environmental QOL. Respondents rated the items using a participants, the majority were males (257 [54%]). The age
five-point Likert scale (1 = Never to 5 = Extremely), with group 60 – 69 years comprised 251 participants (52.7%),
higher scores indicating a higher QOL. Following WHO and most of the participants were married (273 [57.3%]).
guidelines, raw scores for each domain were calculated More than four-fifths of the participants (385 [80.8%])
by summing individual item values and subsequently were Hindu, and most were from other backward classes
transforming them to a scale ranging from 0 to 100, where (205 [43%]). In addition, 305 participants (64%) were
100 represents the highest value, and 0 denotes the lowest. illiterate and had no formal primary education. In terms of
Mean scores for each domain and the total score were wealth, most of the participants (249 [52.3%]) were poor.
subsequently calculated. Higher scores on the WHOQOL- Fewer than one-fourth of the participants (114 [23.9%])
BREF indicate better QOL. were employed.

The MSPSS, introduced by Zimet et al. (1988), 3.2. Mean scores of QOL and perceived social
comprises 12 items distributed across three subdomains: support of the studied population
Family, friends, and significant others. Participants rated
the items using a seven-point Likert scale, ranging from On average, participants rated their social relationship QOL
very strongly disagree (1) to very strongly agree (7). Total the highest, with a mean score of 53.12 ± 17.60. The physical
scores, reflecting perceived support from family, friends, domain, which had a mean score of 40.55 ± 9.41, was the
and significant others in life, ranged from 12 to 84, with most affected. The overall total QOL score (44.90 ± 8.91)
higher scores indicating greater levels of support. Mean falls between these domains, indicating a moderately
scores for each subdomain and the overall total score were balanced QOL among the studied participants.
computed. The study participants perceived family as providing the
highest level of social assistance (19.41 ± 3.52), followed
2.3. Reliability analyses
by friends (18.19 ± 2.47). However, the majority of study
In the present study, the reliability of the WHOQOL-BREF participants felt that their significant others provided
and MSPSS scales was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha minimal social support (16.82 ± 3.07) (Table 2).

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2358