Determinants of quality of life in elderly rehabilitation users at a day care service center.
Yuki Kishikawa, Hiroya Miyabara, Makoto Uchinoura and 5 others
PMID 36628134WHAT IT FOUND
For older adults in day care, quality of life linked to social roles and independence, not physical strength or age.
Longer time in care support predicted lower psychological and social well-being. Focus sessions on connection and daily living tasks rather than exercise alone.
Key findings
01Social role scores were significantly associated with higher psychological and social quality of life, even after accounting for other factors.
02Longer history of requiring support was negatively correlated with psychological and social quality of life.
03Physical function measures like grip strength, knee extension, and chair stand tests showed no significant correlation with any quality of life domain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that improving social roles causes better quality of life; it only shows they are linked. The sample size was small (37 participants) and restricted to those attending day care, who may be more sociable or physically capable than home-bound elderly. Physical function measures showed no correlation with quality of life, which may be due to a ceiling effect or the specific nature of the day care population. Self-reported quality of life may be influenced by current mood or recent events, though the scale asked about the past two weeks.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest directly relevant to the content of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that physical exercise is unnecessary for improving quality of life in older adults. This study found no correlation between strength tests and quality of life, but it did not test whether an exercise intervention changes quality of life, and physical function may still underpin the ability to maintain social roles.