Perception of quality of life in elderly beneficiaries of the Life Centers of Bucaramanga, Colombia

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze the role of Life Centers in the quality of life of elderly beneficiaries in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia. For this purpose, the levels of perception of quality of life are estimated in general terms and by groups of interest, both globally and by dimension. The information comes from the application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Old (WHOQOL-OLD) questionnaire to a stratified sample of 501 elderly people. Mean comparison t-tests are used to identify significant variations in the levels of quality perception between treatment and control groups. Among the findings, a good perception of quality of life is observed, which increases as the frequency and type of participation in the activities offered by these facilities increases. In addition, it is suggested that local authorities guarantee the continuity in the provision of services offered in these spaces, to promote active aging among the elderly population.