Quality of life and psychosocial protection factors of elderly residents in the interior of são paulo: an epidemiological study

Demographic and epidemiological changes lead us to reflect on what provides quality of life in old age. Objective: To evaluate the quality of life of elderly residents in a small municipality in the interior of the State of São Paulo. Methods: This was a cross-sectional census study in which 322 elderly people from the community were interviewed. The WHOQoL-BREF and WHOQoL-OLD quality of life questionnaires were applied and socio-demographic data were collected from the study subjects. Results: The following characteristics predominated: female gender (61.8%), marital status (65.53%), elementary schooling (77.95%), participation and attendance in clubs and associations were reported by 75 and 78%. Concerning monthly wage income, higher incomes meant higher scores on both instruments. In the evaluation of the quality of life through the WHOQoL-BREF, the highest score was in the psychological domain and the lowest in the physical domain. In the WHOQoL-OLD application, the death and dying domain presented the highest score. Conclusion: Researching the quality of life in old age implies evaluating variables that make up the elderly individual's perception of their position in life, encompassing situational, social, cultural, historical and individual aspects. The predominant demographic characteristics of elderly people studied pointed to the feminization of old age in the elderly group of the community. It was observed that there is predominance of married elderly people, with a fundamental level of schooling, retirees, with monthly income of a minimum wage.