Purpose: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the relationdships between health behaviors and quality of life in those elderlies encountered in the outpatient clinic of a medical center in central Taiwan.
Methods: Among the elderlies over 65 years old who visited the outpatient clinic of a hospital in central Taiwan, 100 patients with clear consciousness and wiliingness to accept the interview were included in this study. They were given a self-designed structured questionnaire which included 7 items exploring health behaviors of elderlies such as smoking, dringking, betel nut consumption, exercise engagement, foods taken, stress, emotions, and a SF-36 form for measuring the quality of life. Ninety-two sample
questionnaires were completed (92%). Student’s t-test and ANOVA test were used to compare groups.
Results: Comparison the health behavior one month recently with before, the smoking, dringking and elderlies under stress are decreased significantly, betel nut consumption, exercise engagement and foods taken showed no significant difference. In our study, the smoking, drinking and betel nut consumption had lower health knowledge, health attitude, health effect, health ideal and health treatment. In the cognition of quality of life, the elders think who keep exercising, without stress and drinkers are higher quality of life, the values of SF-36 are also higher.
Conclusions: This study provides concerning clinicians with important references as to promoting elderly health behaviors and enhancing their quality of life in several respects. First, it strengthens the chronically- ill senior citizens’ health concepts. Secondly, it teaches and guides the elderly’s health behaviors. Last but not least, these findings may serve as the blueprints for the care of the elderly in the future.
