2016, Volume 8, Issue 3

The quality of life profile among students of the University of the Third Age



Ewa Kupcewicz1, Małgorzata Kuśmierczyk1, Barbara Wilk1, Agnieszka Zajączkowska1, Aleksandra Zakrzewska1

1Department of Public Health, Józef Rusiecki University College in Olsztyn


Author for correspondence: Ewa Kupcewicz; Department of Public Health, Józef Rusiecki University College in Olsztyn; email: ekupcewicz[at]wp.pl

DOI: 10.29359/BJHPA.08.3.06

Full text

Abstract

Background: The quality of life is determined by numerous factors, among others, social, biological and psychological ones, whereas satisfaction with life and good self-esteem related to health are one of its main measures. The purpose of the paper was to determine the quality of life of the Third Age University students.

Material/Methods: The study group involved 130 students of the University of the Third Age in Kętrzyn and Szczytno. The vast majority were women (90.00%; n = 117), and their mean age was 65.4 ±5.9 years. The study used the author's questionnaire containing questions about socio-demographic data and the WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire allowing to obtain the quality of life profile within four domains: somatic, psychological, social, environmental ones. The significance level p < 0.05 was assumed to interpret the hypotheses.

Results: In the analysis, the somatic domain had the highest scores (14.58 ±3.10), while the social domain had the lowest (13.03 ±3.48) one. The mean level of satisfaction with the overall quality of life was (3.58 ±0.68), and it was higher when compared to satisfaction with the overall quality of health (3.31 ±0.97). The material-financial situation significantly determined the respondents' quality of life within three domains: somatic (H = 9.94; p < 0.02), social (H = 10.37; p < 0.02), environmental (H = 17.58; p < 0.0005). Whereas, their education had a significant (H = 8.41; p < 0.04) effect on the sense of the quality of life in the psychological domain. Persons with secondary education pointed to a higher level of the quality of life than those with primary education.

Conclusions: The improvement in the material-financial situation will positively affect the perception of he quality of life within three domains: somatic, social, and environmental ones.


Key words: quality of life, profile, older people


Cite this article as:

AMA:

Kupcewicz E, Kuśmierczyk M, Wilk B et al. The quality of life profile among students of the University of the Third Age. Balt J Health Phys Activ. 2016;8(3):49-59. doi:10.29359/BJHPA.08.3.06

APA:

Kupcewicz, E., Kuśmierczyk, M., Wilk, B., Zajączkowska, A., & Zakrzewska, A. (2016). The quality of life profile among students of the University of the Third Age. Balt J Health Phys Activ, 8(3), 49-59. https://doi.org/10.29359/BJHPA.08.3.06

Chicago:

Kupcewicz, Ewa, Kuśmierczyk Małgorzata, Wilk Barbara, Zajączkowska Agnieszka, Zakrzewska Aleksandra. 2016. "The quality of life profile among students of the University of the Third Age". Balt J Health Phys Activ 8 (3): 49-59. doi:10.29359/BJHPA.08.3.06

Harvard:

Kupcewicz, E., Kuśmierczyk, M., Wilk, B., Zajączkowska, A., and Zakrzewska, A. (2016). The quality of life profile among students of the University of the Third Age. Balt J Health Phys Activ, 8(3), pp.49-59. https://doi.org/10.29359/BJHPA.08.3.06

MLA:

Kupcewicz, Ewa et al. "The quality of life profile among students of the University of the Third Age." Balt J Health Phys Activ, vol. 8, no. 3, 2016, pp. 49-59. doi:10.29359/BJHPA.08.3.06

Vancouver:

Kupcewicz E, Kuśmierczyk M, Wilk B et al. The quality of life profile among students of the University of the Third Age. Balt J Health Phys Activ 2016; 8(3): 49-59. Available from: doi:10.29359/BJHPA.08.3.06