Health-related quality of life and comorbidity among older women veterans in the United States

Purpose

This paper examines the predictors of quality of life among older women (≥65 years of age) veterans in the United States focusing on the effect of comorbidity on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods

Data from the National Survey of Women Veterans, a cross-sectional nationally representative population-based, stratified random sample of women veterans, were used with an analytic sample size of 1,379 older women veterans. The SF12 physical and mental composite scores (PCS and MCS) were used as outcome measures, and a weighted comorbidity index was used as a covariate.

Results

Older women veterans who are married, employed, with higher income, and higher education have better physical health (PCS). For mental health, education is positively correlated, whereas depression and posttraumatic stress disorder are negatively correlated with MCS. After adjusting for socio-demographic, mental health, and chronic health indicators, the results showed that SF12 PCS varied by VA use status for each level of Seattle Index of Comorbidity. The same pattern was not found for MCS.

Conclusion

For each level of comorbidity, VA users have worse HRQOL which might suggest that case mix adjustments comparing VA users and non-VA users must take into account more than comorbidity alone.