A1 Journal article (refereed)
Maintenance of high quality of life as an indicator of resilience during COVID-19 social distancing among community-dwelling older adults in Finland (2022)

Koivunen, K., Portegijs, E., Sillanpää, E., Eronen, J., Kokko, K., & Rantanen, T. (2022). Maintenance of high quality of life as an indicator of resilience during COVID-19 social distancing among community-dwelling older adults in Finland. Quality of Life Research, 31(3), 713-722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-021-03002-0

JYU authors or editors

Koivunen, Kaisa
Portegijs, Erja
Sillanpää, Elina
Eronen, Johanna
Kokko, Katja
Rantanen, Taina

Publication details

All authors or editors: Koivunen, Kaisa; Portegijs, Erja; Sillanpää, Elina; Eronen, Johanna; Kokko, Katja; Rantanen, Taina

Journal or series: Quality of Life Research

ISSN: 0962-9343

eISSN: 1573-2649

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 27/09/2021

Volume: 31

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 713-722

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-021-03002-0

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/77973

Abstract

Purpose
Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced possibilities for activities of choice potentially threatening quality of life (QoL). We defined QoL resilience as maintaining high quality of life and studied whether walking speed, absence of loneliness, living arrangement, and stress-coping ability predict QoL resilience among older people.

Methods
Community-dwelling 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old persons (n = 685) were interviewed and examined in 2017–2018 and were followed up during COVID-19 social distancing in 2020. We assessed QoL using the OPQOL-brief scale and set a cut-off for ‘constant high’ based on staying in the highest baseline quartile over the follow-up and categorized all others as having ‘low/moderate’. Perceived restrictiveness of the social distancing recommendations was examined with one item and was categorized as ‘yes’ or ‘no’ restrictiveness.

Results
Better stress-coping ability (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14–1.28) and not being lonely (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.48–4.63) increased the odds for constant high QoL from before to amid social distancing, and the odds did not differ according to the perceived restrictiveness of the social distancing recommendations. Higher walking speed predicted constant high QoL only among those perceiving restrictiveness (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07–1.27). Living arrangement did not predict constant high QoL.

Conclusion
During social distancing, psychosocial resources helped to maintain good QoL regardless how restrictive the social distancing recommendations were perceived to be. Better physical capacity was important for constant high QoL only among those perceiving restrictiveness presumably because it enabled replacing blocked activities with open outdoor physical activities.

Keywords: older people; quality of life; physical functioning; psychosocial factors; unusual conditions; pandemics; COVID-19; adaptation (change)