Abstract
Objective: Do women older than 55 years experience a lower health-related quality of life than men of the same age group in all eight subscales as well as in both sum scales of SF-36 (Bullinger & Kirchberger, 1998)?
Method: In this cross section study the data were collected in the field. 10% of ≪ 55 year-old men and women in the administrative district of Stendal (Saxony-Anhalt) were randomly chosen and asked by mail (n=1.219). The SF-36 questionnaire about the health state (Bullinger & Kirchberger, 1998) was used as measuring instrument. Analyzing gender-specific differences three- (health state, age, gender) and downstream two-factorial analyses of variance were calculated.
Random survey: Participation rate was at 38.6% (n = 471), with 58% female (n=273) and 42%male (n=198) (p<0.001) responses. The average age of the random survey was 67.9 years (SD = 8.7).
Results: Older women of a roughly representative random survey population sample reported particularly in the higher physical dimension (KSK) of SF-36 a worse subjective quality of life compared with older men (p < 0.004). In the subscales Physical Abilities and Pains, clearly higher restrictions appeared in women (p < 0.001 and p < 0.008). The same went for the subscales Emotional well-being and Social abilities (p < 0.009 and p<0.015). Considering age-effects women between 65 and 74 years as well as women aged 75 years and older reported lower quality of life answering some subscales.
Conclusions: Apparently, particularly older women suffer increasingly from physical discomfort compared with older men. One can suspect that women in general perceive and assess physical distress differently from men. In future research about the gender-specific quality of life more socioeconomic variables as well as kind and processes of illness perception/ assimilation should be included in the investigation.
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