Assessment of quality of life and postural balance in women of older age groups who continue to work in their profession

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the tasks set in the National project “Demography” (Federal project “Older generation”), and is the need to take into account the functional and psycho-physiological characteristics of older age groups in the system of measures to preserve their health and efficiency in connection with the upcoming increase in the age, giving the right to retire for the majority of the working population.The aim of study was to determine the main patterns in the changes in indicators characterizing the quality of life (QL) and postural balance in women of older age groups who continue to work in their profession.Materials and methods. 166 working women aged 55–64 years (mean age 59±2.8 years) were examined. The sample included women who agreed to participate in the study and who, 12 months after the survey, continued to work and did not plan to stop working during the following year. The first age group (AG) consisted of women whose calendar age (CA) was within 55–59 years (n=89), the second — women aged 60–64 years (n=77). The physical (PCS) and psychological (MCS) components of health-related QOL were determined by the SF–36v2 questionnaire. To evaluate the components of postural balance (CPB), a sensory Organization Test (SOT) was conducted using a computer posturographic (stabilometric) complex “Smart Equitest Balance Manager”.Results. It was found that all medians of QL components in the examined women were above 50 points, i.e. exceeded the general population norm. Comparison of PCS values in AG 55–59 years and 60–64 years showed differences at the level of statistical trend (0.05>p≤0.1). When comparing MCS, no statistically significant differences between the groups were found. The study of the SOT PBC revealed that women aged 60–64 had a slight decrease in the quality of the equilibrium function in functional samples 1 (p=0.008) and 2 (p=0.009), but the quality of the equilibrium function in sample 6 (p=0.005) was higher than in women aged 55–59, which makes it possible to consider this indicator as a predictor that has a positive eff ecton the continuation of employment over 59 years.Conclusions. Thus, the physical and psychological components of QL in working women 55–64 years exceed the general population norm. However, after 59 years there is a decrease in the physical component of QL and there is no decrease in the psychological component of QL, which suggests that the psychological health of women 60 years and older becomes crucial in predicting retirement. After 59 years, working women experience a decrease in the quality of the equilibrium function in functional samples 1 and 2, indicating the beginning of age-related changes in the PBC, which justifies the need to develop and implement physical education and health programs aimed at maintaining the postural balance in 60-year-old women.