Quality of Life of Ageing Population in Thailand

Abstract

Thailand is experiencing a rapid increase in its elderly population. In 2022, the country officially transitioned into a complete aging society, and it is projected that within the next 15 years, Thailand will become a super-aged society. The increase in the number of elderly people has numerous social and economic impacts. Therefore, studying the quality of life (QoL) of the elderly to prepare for various aspects, ensuring that the country becomes a quality aging society, has become an essential element of urgent public health and social policies. This study aims to explore the structural factors of the WHOQOL-BREF, develop an alternative factor model for the tool, and examine the socio-demographic determinants affecting the QoL of the elderly aged 60 and over. The data used in this study are secondary data obtained from the 11th Regional Health (RH), Ministry of Public Health, collected from 2012 to 2018, from elderly individuals in RH 1-13, totaling 34,800 people. The determinants include age groups categorized by gender, marital status, education level, occupation, sources of income, caregivers, and healthcare units. The outcome variable are factor scores of QoL characteristics. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis.The study found that in terms of physical domain, 48.9% of the elderly experienced slight physical illnesses that hindered their ability to do what they wanted, 55.6% had a moderate need for medical treatment, and 70.5% could moderately manage to get around by themselves. Regarding psychological domain, 40.6% of the elderly were satisfied with their lives, while 42.9% were dissatisfied with themselves, 37.6% frequently felt bad, and 54.2% felt that their lives had meaning. In terms of social relationships, 40.4% of the elderly were satisfied with their friendships, 55.7% were moderately satisfied with the help they received from friends, and 52.3% were satisfied with their sexual lives. Concerning the environment, 35.5% of the elderly felt a moderate sense of security, 39.5% were satisfied with their current living conditions, 51.5% were moderately satisfied with their access to public health services as needed, and 77.2% were satisfied with their mobility. Additionally, 54.2% had enough money to meet their needs, 44.5% were well-informed about daily news and necessary information, 36.2% had opportunities to relax and relieve stress, and 36.8% believed their environment was conducive to good health. The WHOQOL-BREF could be divided into three components: environmental and sense of enjoyment, life satisfaction, and physical health, with reliability coefficients of 0.897, 0.892, and 0.788, respectively.The study found that age groups, gender, and socio-economic status are related to the QoL across the three components in each RH. In terms of environment and sense of enjoyment, elderly men with high socio-economic had scores above the overall mean in all RHs except for the 75-85 age group, which scored lower. Conversely, those with low socio-economic in nearly all age groups scored below the overall mean, except for certain age groups such as 60-65 and 66-74, which in some RHs had higher scores. Elderly women with high socio-economic in the 75-85 age group were the only group to score below the overall mean in all RHs, while those with low socio-economic scored above the overall mean in only some RHs. Regarding life satisfaction, elderly men with high socio-economic in the 60-65 and 66-74 age groups scored above the overall mean in all RHs, except for the 75-85 age group, which scored lower. In the low socio-economic group, only some RHs showed that all age groups scored above the overall mean. Elderly women aged 75-85 in both good and low socio-economic groups scored higher than other age groups. In terms of physical health, elderly men and women aged 60-65 and 66-74 with high socio-economic scored above the overall mean. In contrast, in all RHs, elderly men in the 75-85 age group scored lower. However, in the low socio-economic group, elderly men and women in all age groups scored below the overall mean, except for the 60-65 and 66-74 age groups in some RHs.In conclusion, the study indicates that the QoL of elderly individuals in each RH is significantly influenced by factors such as age, gender, and socio-economic status. High socio-economic elderly males tend to fare better in various aspects compared to their counterparts in the low socio-economic group. Conversely, low socio-economic groups often exhibit lower QoL scores, although there are exceptions within specific age groups and RHs. Notably, elderly females aged 75-85 consistently show lower QoL scores across all socio-economic backgrounds and health districts. Furthermore, disparities exist in life satisfaction and physical health among different age groups and socio-economic statuses, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve the well-being of elderly individuals, particularly in vulnerable demographics.However, a limitation of this study is that the sample was randomly selected from members of elderly clubs, which may not be representative of the entire elderly population. Many elderly individuals who are not part of these clubs were not included in the sample, and thus had no chance of being selected. Sampling from households might provide a more accurate representation, though it can be more challenging and time-consuming in practice.

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