Health-Related Quality of Life,Gender,and Culture of Older People Users of Health Services in the Multicultural Landscape of the City of Ceuta (Spain)

Abstract

Introduction: Perceptions of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are influenced by sociodemographic variables and by cultural-religious concepts of health, disease, and old age, among others. Purpose: To assess the HRQOL of older people in a population with a long history of multiculturalism, the city of Ceuta (Spain), and to compare the results with Spanish reference values. Method: A total of 372 individuals (55.4% females) were interviewed using the Spanish version of the Short Form-36 questionnaire. The subjects’ mean age was 70.9 (SD = 5) years: 253 were Christians, 93 Muslims, and 26 Jews, representing the proportions in the overall population of these cultural-religious groups. Results: HRQOL differs according to the cultural-religious affiliation, which specifically affects social and psychological dimensions. Discussion and Conclusions: All groups obtained lower social function scores than the reference values, especially the Muslim and Jewish groups. Implications for Practice: Health care providers may consider integrating culturally sensitive interventions to improve HRQOL.