{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T01:50:09Z","timestamp":1790646609302,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,7]],"date-time":"2025-01-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1736208000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The global population of older adults has steadily increased in recent decades. Little is known about the gender difference in the quality of life (QoL) of older adults in the general population. This study aimed to identify factors associated with QoL among older adults by gender.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Data on QoL using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL-BREF) questionnaire and socio-demographic characteristics, including living status and sources of income, were collected from 1147 older adults. The WHOQoL-BREF has four domains: physical, psychological, social and environmental. Rasch analysis was used to compute a combined score from Likert-type data to a continuous scale ranging from 0% satisfaction to 100% satisfaction in terms of QoL for each domain. We used a generalized linear model to compare the mean rate of QoL for different factors, and logistic regression analysis was used to quantify the associations of factors with below-average QoL measured as 50% or less in QoL.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The domain-specific QoL mean (standard error), minimum-maximum values were physical 48.9 (0.41), 7\u201386, psychological 38.9 (0.51), 4\u201371, social 50.5 (0.49), 8\u201392, and environmental domains 47.8 (0.37), 6\u201391 in the total sample with significant gender difference in all but social domain. The proportion of below average QoL for females vs. males was physical 47.6% vs. 42.6%, psychological 74.4% vs.66.7%; social 34.8% vs. 30.1% and environmental domains 56.1% vs. 49.0%. In females, participants living alone were associated with a higher proportion of below average QoL in physical OR 30.2, 95% CI 2.47, 370, psychological OR 9.54, 95% CI1.09,83.27 and social domains OR 5.94, 95% CI 1.25,28.34. In males, participants\u2019 sources of income from relatives were associated with a higher proportion of below average QoL in physical OR 3.6, 95% CI 2.01,6.44, psychological 30.2, 95% CI 2.47, 370, psychological OR 4.63 95% CI 2.56, 8.38, social domains OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.04, 3.16 and environmental domains OR 2.53 95% CI 1.44, 4.43 than those who had own income. Females engaged in income generation activities had better QoL in social and environmental domains than those with house duties, irrespective of their education or socioeconomic status. Males in retired life had the highest QoL in the social and environmental domains if they had better SES.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study\u2019s findings reveal that more than 50% of people had below-average QoL in each domain, which is significant. The study also highlighted that females living alone and males without their own income had the poorest QoL. On a positive note, it was found that females engaged in any income generation activities had better QoL in social and environmental domains. These results provide valuable insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals. They underscore the importance of implementing appropriate intervention programs to enhance the QoL of older adults, reiterating the urgency and necessity of their work to improve the health and well-being of older adults.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0317113","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,7]],"date-time":"2025-01-07T18:32:53Z","timestamp":1736274773000},"page":"e0317113","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Gender difference in domain-specific quality of life measured by modified WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire and their associated factors among older adults in a rural district in Bangladesh"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3897-3302","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Fakir M. 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Frameworks for \"Health\" After Three Score and Ten.","volume":"109","author":"CK Fallon","year":"2019","journal-title":"American journal of public health"},{"key":"pone.0317113.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"914150241268178","DOI":"10.1177\/00914150241268178","article-title":"Better and Healthier Together? The Mediation Effect of Positive Psychological Capital on the Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults","author":"RM Leonti","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int J Aging Hum Dev."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"679","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-024-05278-6","article-title":"Neighborhood environment and quality of life of older adults in eastern Nepal: findings from a cross-sectional study.","volume":"24","author":"KP Sapkota","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Geriatr."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1186\/s12955-018-0877-z","article-title":"Feeling good in old age: factors explaining health-related quality of life.","volume":"16","author":"M Alcaniz","year":"2018","journal-title":"Health and quality of life outcomes."},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0317113.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2899","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-017-1651-0","article-title":"The quality of life of older people aging in place: a literature review.","volume":"26","author":"P Vanleerberghe","year":"2017","journal-title":"Qual Life Res"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0317113.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1589\/jpts.27.389","article-title":"Psychometric properties of the stroke specific quality of life scale for the assessment of participation in stroke survivors using the rasch model: a preliminary study","volume":"27","author":"SM Silva","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Phys Ther Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jval.2012.08.2208","article-title":"The Effects of Diabetes, Hypertension, Asthma, Heart Disease, and Stroke on Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy.","volume":"16","author":"HM Jia","year":"2013","journal-title":"Value Health."},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0317113.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00435734","article-title":"Study protocol for the World Health Organization project to develop a Quality of Life assessment instrument (WHOQOL).","volume":"2","year":"1993","journal-title":"Qual Life Res"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0317113.ref016","first-page":"354","article-title":"World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment.","volume":"17","author":"What quality of life? 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Thadathil RJ","year":"2015","journal-title":"International Journal of Current Medical And Applied Sciences"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0317113.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.1080\/17441730.2017.1364461","article-title":"Socio-economic inequalities in health among older adults in two rural sub-districts in India and Bangladesh: a comparative cross-sectional study.","volume":"13","author":"KH Rahman M","year":"2017","journal-title":"Asian Population Studies"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-021-03051-2","article-title":"Gender difference in quality of life (QoL) among outpatients with schizophrenia in a tertiary care setting.","volume":"21","author":"S Shafie","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry."},{"key":"pone.0317113.ref026","year":"2013","journal-title":"Vital Statistics: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics"},{"key":"pone.0317113.ref027","year":"2024","journal-title":"Bangladesh Life Expectancy 1950\u20132024"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1186\/s12902-022-01072-w","article-title":"Assessment of quality of life and its determinants in type-2 diabetes patients using the WHOQOL-BREF instrument in Bangladesh.","volume":"22","author":"MF Amin","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Endocr Disord"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"716","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-022-07961-z","article-title":"Quality of life (QoL) among COVID-19 recovered healthcare workers in Bangladesh.","volume":"22","author":"MU Rashid","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC health services research."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1038\/s41393-022-00852-4","article-title":"An assessment of disability and quality of life in people with spinal cord injury upon discharge from a Bangladesh rehabilitation unit.","volume":"61","author":"E Rahman","year":"2023","journal-title":"Spinal Cord"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0317113.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e000508","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2017-000508","article-title":"Variations in disability and quality of life with age and sex between eight lower income and middle-income countries: data from the INDEPTH WHO-SAGE collaboration","volume":"2","author":"FX Gomez-Olive","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0317113.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0003472","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0003472","article-title":"Predictors of health-related quality of Life for COVID-19 survivors living in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A repeated Follow-Up after 18 months of their recovery.","volume":"4","author":"MU Rashid","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLOS Glob Public Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0317113.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1186\/s40249-023-01125-9","article-title":"Quality of life of COVID-19 recovered patients: a 1-year follow-up study from Bangladesh.","volume":"12","author":"MDH Hawlader","year":"2023","journal-title":"Infect Dis Poverty."},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0317113.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"551","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291798006667","article-title":"Development of the World Health Organization WHOQOL-BRIEF quality of life assessment.","volume":"28","author":"The WHOQOL Group","year":"1998","journal-title":"Psychological Medicine"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0317113.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2873","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-018-1936-y","article-title":"The impact of depression on health-related quality of life and wellbeing: identifying important dimensions and assessing their inclusion in multi-attribute utility instruments.","volume":"27","author":"L Engel","year":"2018","journal-title":"Qual Life Res"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0317113.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2749","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-013-0424-7","article-title":"Health-related quality of life and comorbidity among older women veterans in the United States.","volume":"22","author":"C Der-Martirosian","year":"2013","journal-title":"Qual Life Res"},{"key":"pone.0317113.ref037","author":"Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics","year":"2010","journal-title":"Population and Housing Census. 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