Abstract
Aims: This study examined the impact of the residential environment on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and other health-related factors among older women in urban and rural areas.
Methods: This study included 423 older adults living in urban and rural areas, of whom 236 older women met the inclusion criteria. The HRQOL, physical function, body composition, pain, mental and sleep status, and cognitive function were measured and compared between the two groups by region. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the factors influencing HRQOL.
Results: Older rural women had a significantly worse educational history, grip strength, knee extension strength, sit-and-reach distance, one-leg standing, gait speed, and muscle mass as well as significantly better results for the Timed Up and Go tests and fat mass than older urban women. However, no significant differences in the HRQOL were found between regions. Pain intensity and central sensitization-related symptom (CSS) severity were identified as the key factors influencing the HRQOL across both regions.
Conclusion: Despite a poorer physical function in older rural women, pain intensity and CSS severity were the main factors influencing the HRQOL in both urban and rural areas. Thus, approaches targeting pain and CSS could be beneficial for improving the HRQOL in community-dwelling older women. Improving the physical function is particularly important for older rural women.
