Social Capital, Socioeconomic Status, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults in Bogotá (Colombia)

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between levels of cognitive social capital and health related quality of life (HRQOL). A multilevel, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2007 in Bogotá Colombia. A total of 1,907 older adults completed the Spanish version of the SF-8 in order to assess HRQOL. Cognitive dimension of social capital was assessed. Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to determine the associations between social capital variables and HRQOL. Only 20% to 25% of the population reported trust in others and shared values. Ninety three percent reported that people in their neighborhood would try to take advantage of them if given a chance. Higher social capital indicators were positively associated with the mental and physical dimension of HRQOL. Results from this study support evidence on the disintegration of the Colombian society, which may be influenced by high levels of social inequality.

The Role of Age-Friendly Environments on Quality of Life among Thai Older Adults

“…Regarding physical or built environments, the significant relationship of neighbourhood accessibility, neighbourhood aesthetics and places for walking in neighbourhood and quality of life in this study was also found in several previous studies [5,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,29,31]. For example, in a study on neighbourhood aesthetics, previous research from Berlin addressed that residents living in a more aesthetic neighbourhood, such as a neighbourhood with more vegetation view, have significantly better conditions of mental health such as lower stress and higher life satisfaction [16].…”

“…In agreement with our study findings was a study in a developing country, Colombia, that found that older adults with the highest perception of trust in their neighbourhood had better mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared to their counterparts with the lowest perception of trust [14]. The researchers of that study [14] believed that higher levels of “trust in others” enabled them to reduce negative emotions, stress levels, and anxiety, and they were more likely to increase feelings of security and self-esteem, leading to better mental health as well as initiating collective and coordinated actions that might directly promote health by limiting or delaying the onset of disease and functional disability [15]. …”

“…Previous studies found that the following age-friendly environment factors may be associated with better quality of life, well-being, life satisfaction, or self-rated health among older adults: social environment such as social support from family, friends and neighbours [5,6,7,8], neighbourhood social cohesion [8,9,10,11,12,13], social trust [14,15], an aesthetic neighbourhood or pleasant physical environment [11,16,17,18], a walkable neighbourhood [19,20], neighbourhood service accessibility [5,21,22], perceived neighbourhood security and safety [23,24,25], and neighbourhood crime safety [26,27]. There is a lack of studies in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, investigating age-friendly environments and how these impact quality of life among older adults.…”

Comparison of Quality of Life Between Urban and Rural Menopause Women and its Predictors: A Population Base Study

“…Furthermore, children's undesirable behavior was identified as an effective variable on QOL in both groups, possibly by affecting mental health (27). Some studies suggest destructive effects of aging on QOL, especially on physical dimension (28)(29)(30). Age was also found a predictor of QOL in the present study rural women.…”

The effects of healthy lifestyle on the quality of life among elderly

“…Sosyo-demografik özelliklere ilişkin bu sonuçlar Türkiye geneli istatistiklerle, [20,[35][36] Türkiye'de sağlıklı yaşam tarzı davranışlarına yöne-lik yaşlılar üzerine yapılan çalışmalarla [22][23][24][25]30] ve diğer ülkelerde yapılan çalışmalarla [8,[13][14][15][16][18][19] Daha önce yapılan çok sayıda kesitsel ve kohort çalışmada sosyo-ekonomik faktörlerin yaşlı yaşam kalitesi üzerine etkisi kanıtlanmıştır. [39][40][41][42] Bu çalışmanın temel konusu olan sağlıklı yaşam tarzı alışkanlıkları açısından yaşam kalitesi değer-lendirildiğinde; yeterli meyve-sebze tüketiminin yaşlı sağlığı ve yaşam kalitesini olumlu etkilediğini gösteren çalışmalar mevcuttur. [43][44][45][46] Türkiye'de ve dünyanın farklı ülkelerinde yapılan çok sayıda araştırmada da yaşlı bireylerde fiziksel hareketliliğin yaşam kalitesi üzerine olumlu etkisi kanıtlanmıştır.…”