Global quality of life modifies terminal change in physical functioning among older adult women

Abstract

Background: the factors that moderate decline in physical functioning as death approaches are understudied. This study aimed to assess death-related decline in global quality of life (QoL) and physical functioning and to test whether baseline QoL moderates terminal decline in physical functioning.

Methods: four thousand six hundred and fifty-one decedents from the Women's Health Initiative Study (WHI) rated QoL and physical functioning each year throughout 5 years of follow-up.

Results: both QoL and physical functioning showed a steeper decline as a function of years to death than as a function of chronological age. Moreover, decedents with higher QoL at baseline showed a less steep decline in physical functioning as death approached than those with lower QoL at baseline.

Conclusion: although QoL strongly decreases across the terminal years, its beneficial influence on physical functioning is evident till the very end of life.

Keywords: Women's Health Initiative; global quality of life; older people; physical functioning; terminal change.