Health-related quality of life in adults from 17 family practice clinics in North Carolina
2009

Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults from North Carolina

Sample size: 4565 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Callahan Leigh F., Shreffler Jack, Mielenz Thelma J., Kaufman Jay S., Schoster Britta, Randolph Randy, Sloane Philip, DeVellis Robert, Weinberger Morris

Primary Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Hypothesis

How do individual and community socioeconomic statuses affect health-related quality of life in different racial groups?

Conclusion

Better health-related quality of life measures are generally associated with low levels of community poverty and high levels of education.

Supporting Evidence

  • Lower individual socioeconomic status is linked to poorer health outcomes.
  • Community socioeconomic factors can influence individual health outcomes.
  • Education level is a strong marker of individual socioeconomic status.

Takeaway

People who have more education and live in wealthier neighborhoods tend to feel healthier and happier.

Methodology

Participants completed self-report questionnaires on demographics, chronic conditions, health behaviors, and health status, with analyses stratified by race.

Potential Biases

Self-reported data may introduce bias, and the community socioeconomic status measure may be too crude.

Limitations

The study relied on self-reported data and used education level as the sole measure of individual socioeconomic status.

Participant Demographics

Participants included 3,612 whites and 953 African Americans, with a mix of urban and rural residents.

Statistical Information

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

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