Associations between health-related quality of life and physical function in older adults with or at risk of mobility disability after discharge from the hospital

PURPOSE: To optimise the treatment for older adults after hospitalisation, thorough health status information is needed. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the associations between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical function in older adults with or at risk of mobility disability after hospital discharge. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 89 home-dwelling older people while inpatients within medical wards at a general hospital in Oslo, Norway. HRQOL [the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)] and physical function [the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)] were measured a median of 49 [interquartile range (IQR) 26–116] days after discharge. Simple linear regression analyses were conducted, and multivariable regression models were fitted. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 78.3 years; 43 (48.9 %) were females. Multivariable regressions showed positive associations between SPPB and the physical subscales {physical functioning [B (95% CI) 4.51 (2.35–6.68)], role physical [B (95% CI) 5.21 (2.75–7.67)], bodily pain [B (95% CI) 3.40 (0.73–6.10)] and general health [B (95% CI) 3.12 (1.13–5.12)]}. Univariable regressions showed no significant associations between SPPB and the mental subscales {vitality [B (95% CI) 1.54 (− 0.10–3.18)], social functioning [B (95% CI) 2.34 (− 0.28–4.96)], role emotional [B (95% CI) 1.28 (− 0.96–3.52)] and mental health [B (95% CI) 1.00 (− 0.37–2.36)]}. CONCLUSION: The results reinforce that physical function and physical HRQOL are strongly linked, and interventions improving physical function might improve physical HRQOL. However, this hypothesis would have to be tested in a randomised controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov. Registered 19 September 2016 (NCT02905383). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41999-021-00525-0.