The association between socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life among Polish postmenopausal women from urban and rural communities

Publication date: Available online 1 December 2016 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology Author(s): M. Kaczmarek, J.Pacholska-Bogalska, W. Kwaśniewski, J.Kotarski, B. Halerz-Nowakowska, A. Goździka-Józefiak In recent years, more scholarly attention has been paid to a growing range of geographic characteristics as antecedents of inequalities in women's health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in health-related quality of life between rural and urban Polish postmenopausal women. Using a data set from a reproductive health preventive screening of 660 postmenopausal women aged 48-60 years, inhabitants of Wielkopolska and Lublin provinces, the association of place of residence, socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors with health-related quality of life (the SF-36 instrument) was evaluated using ANCOVA models and multiple logistic regression analysis with backward elimination steps. A consistent rural-to-urban gradient was found in all indices of physical health functioning and well-being but not in vitality, social functioning, emotional role and mental health scales with women in large cities being likely to enjoy the highest and those in villages the lowest quality of life. The rural-urban disparities in health-related quality of life were mediated by women's socioeconomic status. The likelihood of worse physical and mental functioning and well-being was 2-3 times greater for the low socioeconomic status rural women ...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research