Journal List > Korean J Women Health Nurs > v.24(2) > 1100166

Chae, Kim, Choi, and Han: Subjective Health and Factors of Health-related Quality of Life in Elderly Haenyo

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the subjective health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Haenyo.

Methods

Subjects were 100 elderly Haenyo in Jeju island who belonged to a fishing-village society. Main variables were activities of daily living(ADL), instrumental ADL(IADL), the HRQoL, subjective health, and depression. Subjective health and differences of HRQoL by variables were analyzed by t-test or ANOVA using IBM SPSS Statistics 23. Hierarchical multiple regression was executed to examine the effects of the major factors on the quality of life.

Results

The mean age was 69.9 years, the mean period for diving career was 51.5 years, and work hours per month were 37.8. Comorbidity of diseases was 2.74, and the common health problems were osteoporosis and headache/dizziness. HRQoL was significantly different by age(F=4.52, p=.013), education(F=6.10, p=.003), muljil work years(F=3.93, p=.050), depression(t=-3.04, p=.030), subjective health state(F=30.62, p<.01), and degenerative arthritis(F=-2.38, p=.019). In the final model by hierarchical multiple regression, ADL/IADL (β=.41, p<.001), depression (β=-.29, p<.001), and subjective health (β=.43∼.51, p<.001) were significant and explained 63.5% of the total variance of HRQoL.

Conclusion

Haenyo have specific health problems different from those of elderly women in general. ADL/IADL, depression and subjective health affected their HRQoL. It is clear that Haenyos' health problems need further study to improve their health.

References

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Table 1.
Overall Responses on Muljil Work and Health Status in Haenyo (N=100)
Variables Categories n (%) M±SD
Age (year)     69.9±4.84
Subjective health Healthy 23 (23.0)  
  Moderate 54 (54.0)  
  Unhealthy 23 (23.0)  
Duration of Muljil work (year) ≤51 53 (53.0) 51.5±8.00
  >51 47 (47.0)  
Muljil hour (month) ≤30 21 (21.0) 37.79±12.30
  31∼40 64 (64.0)  
  ≥41 15 (15.0)  
Number of hyperbaric oxygen therapy None 29 (29.0) 6.02±9.76
  1∼5 39 (39.0)  
  ≥6 32 (32.0)  
Comorbidity Hypertension 31 (31.0) 2.74±1.25
  Diabetes 5 (5.0)  
  Degenerative arthritis 36 (36.0)  
  Hyperlipidemia 28 (28.0)  
  Deafness 45 (45.0)  
  Headache/dizziness 63 (63.0)  
ADL     7.06±0.60
IADL     10.10±1.10
Depression (CES-D) Depressive (≥12) 28 (28.0) 9.61±3.39
  Undepressive (≤11) 72 (72.0)  
Grip strength     20.14±3.71
HRQoL (EQ-5D index)     0.89±0.11

ADL=activities of daily living; IADL=instrumental activities of daily living; CES-D=the center for epidemiological studies-depression; HRQoL=health related quality of life; EQ-5D index=Euro quality of life-5 dimensions index.

Table 2.
Differences in HRQoL by Socio-demographic Characteristics (N=100)
Variables Categories M±SD t or F p Scheffé or Games-Howell
Age (year) 65∼69 (n=54)a 70∼79 (n=44)b 0.92±0.09 0.85±0.14 4.52 .013 a, c>b
  ≥80 (n=2)c 0.93±0.05      
Education Uneducated (n=46)a Elementary (n=50)b Middle (n=4)c 0.85±0.14 0.92±0.07 0.98±0.09 6.10 .003 b>a
Marriage state Single (n=52) 0.88±0.10 0.47 .494  
  Marriage (n=48) 0.90±0.12      
Cohabitant Alone (n=33) 0.86±0.11 1.31 .275  
  Spouse (n=46) 0.89±0.12      
  Children (n=19) 0.92±0.07      
  Grandchildren (n=2) 0.93±0.09      
Average monthly income <300 (n=16) 0.87±0.08 1.38 .247  
(10,000 won) 300∼500 (n=31) 0.86±0.13      
  500∼700 (n=29) 0.92±0.07      
  700∼1,000 (n=11) 0.89±0.20      
  ≥1,000 (n=13) 0.90±0.86      
Subjective economic state High (n=2) 0.90±0.04 2.93 .058  
  Moderate (n=52) 0.91±0.11      
  Low (n=46) 0.86±0.11      
Duration of muljil work ≤51 0.91±0.08 3.93 .050  
(year) >51 0.87±0.14      

HRQoL=health related quality of life.

Table 3.
Differences in HRQoL by Health related Characteristics (N=100)
Variables Categories M±SD t or F p Games-Howell
Depression (CES-D) Depressive (≥12) 0.84±0.11 –3.04 .030  
  Undepressive (≤11) 0.91±0.11      
Subjective health Healthy (n=23)a Moderate (n=54)b Unhealthy (n=23)c 0.95±0.06 0.91±0.07 0.77±0.14 30.62 <.01 a, b>c
Hypertension Yes (n=31) 0.87±0.14 –1.47 .144  
  No 0.90±0.10      
Diabetes Yes (n=5) 0.88±0.11 –0.29 .777  
  No 0.89±0.11      
Degenerative arthritis Yes (n=36) 0.85±0.13 –2.38 .019  
  No 0.91±0.10      
Hyperlipidemia Yes (n=28) 0.88±0.12 –0.79 .433  
  No 0.89±0.10      
Deafness Yes (n=45) 0.88±0.12 –0.91 .364  
  No 0.90±0.10      
Headache/dizziness Yes (n=63) 0.89±0.09 0.67 .502  
  No 0.88±0.14      
Osteoporosis Yes (n=65) 0.89±0.10 –0.44 .658  
  No 0.90±0.13      

Post hoc=Games-Howell; HRQoL=health related quality of life; CES-D=the center for epidemiological studies-depression.

Table 4.
Correlations among ADL/ IADL, Grip strength, Depression, Muljil Work, and HRQoL (N=100)
Variables ADL/IADL Grip strength Depression Muljil work HRQoL
  r (p) r (p) r (p) r (p) r (p)
ADL/IADL 1        
Grip strength –.011 (.913) 1      
Depression .012 (.909) –.364 (<.001) 1    
Muljil work –.044 (.662) –.183 (.069) .252 (.011) 1  
HRQoL –.495 (<.001) .243 (.015) –.476 (<.001) –.207 (.039) 1

ADL=activities of daily living, IADL=instrumental activities daily living, HRQoL=health related quality of life.

Table 5.
Hierarchical Multiple Regression for HRQoL (N=100)
Variables Model 1 Model 2 Model 3
  β (p) β (p) β (p)
Age (year) –.10 (.374) –.08 (.554) .09 (.914)
Education (elementary=1) .27 (.013) .27 (.022) .04 (.648)
Education (middle=1) .21 (.039) .20 (.054) .04 (.579)
Muljil work year   –.03 (.835) –.10 (.299)
Monthly muljil work (hrs)   .05 (.612) .04 (.674)
Number of hyperbaric oxygen therapy   –.05 (.637) .64 (.526)
ADL/IADL     .41 (<.001)
Depression     –.29 (<.001)
Subjective health (healthy=1)     .43 (<.001)
Subjective health (moderate=1)     .51 (<.001)
Degenerative arthritis     –.06 (.373)
F (p) 4.70 (.004) 2.38 (.035) 13.94 (<.001)
R2 .128 .133 .635
Adjusted R2 .101 .077 .590

ADL=activities of daily living; IADL=instrumental activities daily living; HRQoL=health related quality of life.

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