Use of senior center and the health-related quality of life in Korean older adults

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a broad, multidimensional construct that includes at least the domains of physical, psychological, and social health, according to the World Health Organization. In Korea, the measure is to utilize present handy senior center in inhabitable areas and not to invest largely in the health improvement infrastructure of rapidly increasing older adults. Furthermore, in spite of the improvement of chronic disease and physical functioning of the user of senior center, HRQOL comparison by users of senior center has not been examined. [Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the use of senior center and health-related quality of life in Korean older adults.[Methods] A questionnaire survey was conducted to two types of older adults who lived in Busan, Korea: 154 older adults who used a senior center and 137 older adults who did not use a senior center. The Korean version of short-form 36-item health survey was administered to assess the health-related quality of life. Demographic variables were obtained from a questionnaire. These were gender, age, family status, marital status, education, monthly income, present illness, body mass index and physical activity. [Results] Multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted using demographic factors, physical activity and present illness as covariate, the 8-domain scales of physical function and role function were significantly higher in the users of the senior center compared with the non-users (F=4.87, P=0.027 and F=7.02, P=0.009, respectively). The 8-domain scales of vitality was also significantly higher in the users of the senior center compared with the non-users (F=7.48, p=0.007). [Conclusions] The present study showed that the users of the senior center have higher physical function, rolephysical and vitality compared with the non-users. These findings suggest that although the results are unable to specify causal relationships using the senior center may lead to some improvement in health-related quality of life.