Health-Related Quality of Life Measures for Physically Active Elderly in Community Exercise Programs in Catalonia: Comparative Analysis with Sedentary People
Objective. To evaluate Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), medication used, and Stock of Health Capital (SHC) in physically active elderly participants in Community Exercise Programs (CEPs) compared to a sedentary group. Methods. EuroQol standardized instrument was completed by physically active elderly (n = 2,185) who participated in CEPs. Common items were compared to HRQoL data of 1,874 sedentary elderly people, taken from the Catalan Health Survey 2006 (CHS’06). Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) outcomes and medication used were assessed through parametric statistics. Dimensions of health conditions were compared, between sedentary people and physically active elderly participants in CEPs. SHC results were obtained combining the EuroQol scores and Life Expectancy (LE) values. An economic value of €34,858.70 was assigned to these years of LE. Results. Physically active subjects had better HRQoL values (75.36 in males and 70.71 in females) than CHS’06 sedentary subjects (58.35 in males and 50.59 in females). Medication used was different between physically active subjects (1.89 in males and 2.87 in females) and CHS’06 sedentary subjects (4.34 in males and 4.21 in females). SHC data for physically active elderly (€465,988.31/QALY in males and €522,550.31/QALY in females) were higher than for CHS’06 sedentary subjects (€363,689.33/QALY in males and €346,615.91/QALY in females). 1. Introduction Regular physical activity increases functionality of the body’s biological dimensions and is associated with lower mortality rates (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2000) [1]. There is clear evidence that physical activity delays mortality in comparison to inactivity [2]. Research evidence also shows an association between physical activity and psychological well-being, such as a reduction in depression and anxiety or increase in levels of self-esteem and positive affect [3]. 1.1. Concept of HRQoL and Its Application in the Field of Physical Activity for the Elderly An individual’s health has been traditionally measured on the basis of indicators of morbidity, mortality, and Life Expectancy. At present, there is a search for new, more dynamic ways to measure health, with an emphasis on the subjective dimension. The World Health Organization, in its institutional definition, already established this tendency when defining health as a state of absolute physical, mental, and social well-being, rather than just the absence of disease [4]. The concept of Quality of Life (QoL), in this respect, becomes an element to be considered in research on particularly
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