Pakistan has the 12th largest elderly population globally; however, limited research is available to provide a comprehensive description of their quality of life. Karachi, being the largest and most populous city of Pakistan is expected to host the highest proportional of elderly population of Pakistan and its unique socio-cultural background make it an ideal representative of Pakistani population. In research paper, we assessed the quality of life of elderly people in Karachi and investigated several factors that influenced their QOL. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi, targeting residents aged 60 to 100 years. Multi-stage cluster sampling techniques were applied. Data was collected through household visits by interviewers, using a structured questionnaire, WHOQOL-BREF, along with additional socio-demographic factors. An informed consent was obtained from participants prior to the interview, and they were assured of the confidentiality of their data. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (IBM SPSS Statistics 23), applying non-parametric T-tests and multiple linear regression analysis. The study included 247 male (61.75%) and 153 female participants (38.25%), with mean age of 65.47 years and standard deviation of 4.994 years. Mean score of QOL domains and their standard deviations were as follows; physical (57.48 ± 17.24), psychological (58.81 ± 17.44), social relationship (63.70 ± 20.05) and environmental (60.59 ± 18.44). Based on the WHOQOL-BREF cutoff of 60, the physical and psychological health of the elderly participants were categorized as poor. Physical health of the participants was found to be significantly influenced by female gender, marital status, post-secondary education, employment status, family income, and chronic diseases, with corresponding β coefficients of − 0.248, − 0.457, 0.289, 0.308, 0.245, and 0.366, respectively (p-value < 0.001). Psychological health was strongly affected by female gender, post-secondary education, employment status, family income, and chronic disease, with β values of − 0.158, 0.307, 0.213, 0.340, and 0.247, respectively (p-value < 0.001). Social relationship status was notably influenced by female gender, post-secondary education, employment status, family income, and chronic disease, with β values of − 0.113, 0.271, 0.251, 0.143, and 0.151, respectively (p-value < 0.002). This study highlights that QOL of female population shows a strong negative correlation as compared to male population showing a significant gender disparity. Conversely, participants who were married and lived with their families generally reported better support systems, thereby leading to enhanced QOL. The study also emphasized that higher income, better education, and employment status were associated with improved QOL outcomes. The limitations of this study include its cross-sectional design, small sample size and potential confounding factors.
Tarrar et al. (Mon,) studied this question.