Examining the Psychological Health Quality of Life of Older People with Disability in Selected Districts in Ghana

Abstract

Older people in Ghana suffer from a wide range of disabilities including visual, physical, and hearing with serious ramifications on their quality of life. Therefore, this paper examines the psychological health quality of life (PHQOL) of older people  with disability in selected Districts in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Through  a census survey, questionnaires were used to obtain data from 810 respondents.Independent-samples t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to  examine their PHQOL. The results showed that mean scores in PHQOL were highest  among those aged 60-69 and lowest for those aged 80 years and older with a  significant difference [F (807) = 23.872 value, p = 0.000] in PHQOL of their ages. Those  who were married had the highest PHQOL mean score compared with those who  were separated / divorced and widowed with significant difference [F (807) = 42.690  value, p = 0.000] noticed in PHQOL across marital statuses. Also, those with physical  disability had a higher mean score in PHQOL than those with visual disability. The  study concludes that any geriatric policy interventions aimed at improving the  PHQOL of older people with disability ought not to downplay their background  characteristics as they underpin their PHQOL.