Effect of Elderly School Policy on Quality of Life among Thailand's Senior Citizens: A Propensity Score Matching Approach.

Q2 Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

F1000Research Pub Date : 2025-03-31 eCollection Date: 2024-01-01 DOI:10.12688/f1000research.151221.1

Worapath Kratoo, Nuchanad Hounnaklang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: As Thailand's population ages, promoting senior citizens' quality of life (QoL) is crucial. In 2017, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security launched the "elderly school" initiative to foster lifelong learning and enhance the QoL among senior citizens. However, comprehensive evaluations of its impact on QoL remain limited.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the policy's effect on QoL in Phetchabun province, Thailand. Using quota and systematic sampling, 1,374 senior citizens aged 60-80 participated. Propensity score matching (PSM) with a 1:1 match was employed to estimate the average treatment effect (ATE) of attending the elderly school on QoL. Additionally, multiple linear regression was analyzed to assess the association between QoL and its associated factors.

Results: PSM were matched successfully, the standardized difference was less than 10 percent, and the baseline after matching indicated balances with 687 elderly people in each group. The mean QoL score of the non-attending group was 44.40 (SD = 7.11), and that of the attending group was 57.50 (SD = 7.53). The ATE for elderly people attending school was 10.67 scores (95% CI: 9.67 - 11.67 scores) higher than those unattended. Being female, having monthly income higher than 20,000, having employment, having a caregiver, and attendance at elderly school were positively associated with QoL, and the standardized beta coefficients were 0.078, 0.059, 0.094, 0.066, and 0.550, respectively. Additionally, higher education was positively associated with higher QoL.

Conclusion: The elderly school policy significantly enhanced the QoL of the attending senior citizens. Findings suggest continued collaboration among stakeholders to sustain and optimize this policy for improved seniors' QoL, which has the potential to utilize lifelong learning to create an inclusive framework for healthy aging among senior citizens.

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老年学校政策对泰国老年人生活质量的影响：倾向得分匹配方法。

背景：随着泰国人口的老龄化，提高老年人的生活质量（QoL）至关重要。2017年，社会发展和人类保障部发起了“老年学校”倡议，以促进老年人终身学习，提高老年人的生活质量。然而，对其对生活质量影响的综合评估仍然有限。方法：本横断面调查旨在评估政策对泰国碧差汶省生活质量的影响。采用定额和系统抽样的方法，对1374名60-80岁的老年人进行了调查。采用倾向得分匹配（PSM），以1:1匹配来估计老年学校对生活质量的平均治疗效果（ATE）。此外，多元线性回归分析评估生活质量与其相关因素的相关性。结果：PSM匹配成功，标准化差异小于10%，匹配后的基线显示各组687例老年人的平衡。非参加组的平均生活质量评分为44.40分（SD = 7.11），参加组的平均生活质量评分为57.50分（SD = 7.53）。上学老人的ATE比未上学老人高10.67分（95% CI: 9.67 ~ 11.67分）。女性、月收入2万以上、有工作、有照顾者、老年学校出勤率与生活质量呈正相关，标准化贝塔系数分别为0.078、0.059、0.094、0.066、0.550。此外，高等教育与较高的生活质量呈正相关。结论：老年学校政策显著提高了老年人的生活质量。研究结果表明，利益相关者之间应继续合作，维持和优化这一政策，以改善老年人的生活质量，这有可能利用终身学习为老年人的健康老龄化创造一个包容性框架。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

F1000Research Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics-Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (all)

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

0.00%

发文量

1646

审稿时长

1 weeks

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