Differences by Gender and Residence of the Quality of Life of People Aged 60 Years and Older Living in the Grodno Region

BACKGROUND: The population of the Republic of Belarus is demographically old, and due to the increase in average life expectancy, the trend of aging is predicted to continue. An objective assessment will allow us to identify reserves for increasing the quality of life and fully realize the potential of people aged 60+. AIM: Using the example of the Grodno region analyze gender and territorial (urban-rural) differences in the quality of life of the population aged 60+. METHODS: Based on materials from a database representative of the Grodno region, an analysis was made of the quality of life of people aged 60+, its differences by gender and residence. Methods of descriptive, parametric and non-parametric statistics were used. RESULTS: The integral level of quality of life in men 64.48±0.9%, in women - 64.13±0.63% (p0.05). Urban residents rate their own quality of life higher (64.77±0.61% compared to 63.24±0.97% for rural residents) due to a higher proportion of people with a higher and lower proportion of people with an average level of quality of life. The differences relate to the domains “Physical and psychological well-being”, “Self-perception”, to a lesser extent with “Social well-being”, while the domain “Microsocial support” did not reveal differences between urban and rural residents. The domain “Physical and psychological well-being” revealed the lowest values ​​(61.52±0.55%), without differences by gender, but with pronounced lower values ​​for rural residents: 60.47±1.04% (for city 62.05±0.64%). The values ​​for the “Self-perception” domain among city residents were 64.89±0.59%, among rural residents - 62.91±1.0%. CONCLUSION: The absence of gender differences in the quality of life in old age indicates gender equality in relation to factors influencing the subjective perception of well-being. Lower values ​​of the integral level of quality of life for residents living in rural areas are alarming and require a detailed analysis of the reasons. It is reasonable to assume that improving the self-perception of people 60+ is possible by creating a micro- and macro-social environment that promotes physical independence and independence of the elderly.