Assessment of Quality of Life of the Elderly Living in Rural and Urban Areas of Ambala District: A Comparative Study

CONTEXT: Aging is a natural process which universally affects all the human beings in the society. As the geriatric population is quiet vulnerable, They might suffer from mental and physical disabilities which consequently threatens their independence. Quality of life among the geriatric population is a global concern as it reflects the status of health and of well being among the set population. AIMS: To assess the quality of life of elderly living in rural and urban areas and compare the role of socio-demographic factors influencing the quality of life of elderly. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: It is a Community based Cross sectional study conducted in urban and rural field practice areas of MMIMSR, Mullana. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Convenience sampling was used. A total of 200 elderly were included in the study. A pretested semi structured questionnaire was used. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data was analysed using SPSS 20.0. RESULTS: According to the sex of the participants, male participants had a higher mean score for QOL as compared to the female participants. Higher mean score was found in each domain for the participants living with their spouses. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of life is better among the individuals who do not suffer from any chronic illness'. The health care services should be strengthened to provide for better healthcare to the elderlies for their morbid conditions.