Factors related to the quality of life of the elderly in programs for senior citizens

Population aging is a social phenomenon that demands the attention of health professionals. This article seeks to analyze the influence of possible intervening factors on the quality of life of the elderly. It was a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive and exploratory study, in which 182 elderly of both genders participated. They were aged >= 60 years and were enrolled in programs for senior citizens from three universities located in the cities of Sao Paulo, Sao Caetano do Sul and Mogi das Cruzes. To evaluate the subjective perception of quality of life, the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref) was used. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed on the dependent and independent variables. A significance level of 5% was adopted. The results showed that the absence of disease positively influenced the quality of life on the four domains evaluated. In the environmental domain, full tertiary education, old age, the absence of disease and being a resident in Sao Caetano do Sul positively influenced the quality of life of the elderly. The factors associated with better quality of life were: full tertiary education, old age, the absence of disease and being a resident in Sao Caetano do Sul, in that order of importance.