Determinants of Quality of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Urban South India: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Population ageing poses significant public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. India's ageing population is rapidly increasing, posing challenges to quality of life (QoL) because of declining physical, functional, and psychological well-being. This study aimed to assess QoL and identify its determinants among the older urban population in Visakhapatnam, India. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 older adults (≥60 years) selected by simple random sampling from the electoral roll of an urban field practice area in Visakhapatnam, India. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a pretested questionnaire and the Telugu version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). QoL scores were calculated according to WHO guidelines, and determinants of QoL were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Results The mean overall QoL score was 37.03 (SD = 10.35). The domain-specific mean scores were 39.44 (SD = 13.12) for physical health, 41.34 (SD = 13.14) for psychological health, 27.08 (SD = 8.88) for social relationships, and 40.24 (SD = 11.42) for the environment. Of the 400 participants, 62 (15.5%) had poor QoL, 236 (59.0%) had average QoL, and 102 (25.5%) had good QoL. In bivariate analyses, higher QoL was significantly associated with female sex, higher education, upper-middle socioeconomic status, involvement in household decision-making, and enrolment in welfare schemes for older adults. Increasing age was independently associated with lower overall QoL (β = -0.13, p = 0.013). Multiple linear regression identified increasing age, education, socioeconomic status, enrolment in welfare schemes for older adults, and participation in household decision-making as independent determinants of overall QoL. Conclusion Most older adults had an average QoL, and the social relationships domain had the lowest mean score. Educational attainment, socioeconomic status, participation in social welfare schemes, and decision-making autonomy were important determinants of better QoL. Interventions that strengthen social support, improve access to welfare programmes, and address socioeconomic inequalities may contribute to healthy ageing and improved QoL among older adults.