Health-Related Quality of Life in Later Life: Predictors, Trajectories, and Health Outcomes

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a person’s perception of how they view their general health status. This thesis demonstrated that community-dwelling older people with better HRQoL were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD), cognitive decline, or dementia, and more likely to survive longer. Better physical HRQoL trajectories were more common among people without financial hardship, loneliness, or recent stressful life events; and these trajectories were protective against developing CVD. This research highlights the importance of assessing HRQoL in general practice, as it could be used to identify older individuals at higher risk for future adverse health outcomes.