Quality of life among the elderly with locomotor disabilities in Sweden and Poland in the 1990s.

Purpose: To estimate the proportion of locomotor disabilities in two elderly populations in Sweden and Poland, respectively. To estimate the perceived quality of life (QoL) in the disabled groups in samples from each country using a model developed by Carol Estwing Ferrans.

Methods: The study comprised three parts: an epidemiological screening test for identification of individuals with a locomotor disability, an analysis of background data of importance and home visits with evaluations of quality of life and functional capacity. Home visits were made using the Quality of Life Index, (QLI) of Ferrans and Powers and a functional scale, the Standardized Practical Equipment (SPE). Data were collected for the period 1991-1996.

Results: In the population part of the study, with 1,380 respondents (78%) comprising elderly Swedish persons, 288 reported a locomotor disability. This can be compared with 425 among 1,045 respondents (52%) in a Polish elderly group. The tests at the home visits (Sweden, n = 89; Poland, n = 84) showed that both men and women in the Swedish group reported significantly higher scores for the total QLI (max. 30.00) with men reporting 26.68 points compared to 19.73 and women reporting 21.39 points compared to 19.40 and for three of the four subscales. Also, the Polish group scored lower for balance and mobility (SPE).

Conclusion: The study provides an important view of the life situation measured with the QLI tool and the SPE for elderly persons with locomotor disorders in Sweden and Poland during the mid-1990s. The results are congruent with epidemiological reports on the poor health situation in Poland, particularly during that time. A new investigation among the elderly with locomotor disorders in the two countries today might provide different results.