The Medicine, Health, and Aging Project
Quality of Life, Medications, & Health Among the Elderly
Funding
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP)
Period
10/1/96-9/30/98
Principal Investigator
Frank Ahern, Ph.D.
Co-Investigators
Carol H. Gold, Ph.D.
Debra Heller, Ph.D.
Theresa Brown, M.P.A.
Background
Health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) is an especially important concept for the elderly who, more than any other group, can be expected to reflect the vulnerability and cumulative health effects associated with normal aging in combination with pathological disease processes. Despite the ever increasing body of knowledge on HR-QOL, few studies have examined the relationship of HR-QOL with prescription drug use among the elderly.
Objectives
The research will: (1) examine the relationship of measures of past and current prescription drug use with specific and global measures of the BRFSS HR-QOL items; and (2) examine the relationship of BRFSS Health-related Quality of Life to the relative risks of mortality and cause of death including estimating relative risks for demographic factors, drug use, and other covariates. the study also seeks to establish a baseline database on HR-QOL in order to be able to conduct follow-up health outcomes research.