Attitude to Ageing As a Predictor of Subjective Health and Quality of Life Among Older People in Delta State, Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: The study investigated attitude to ageing as a predictor of subjective health and quality of life among the older people in Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State. Three research questions guided the study.

METHOD: The population of the study comprised 6,670 older people 3,323 males and 3347 females in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State. The sample size of the study is 667 older people in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to get the sample size for the study. Two stages of selection were used in order to draw the sample for the study. For the first stage, simple sampling technique was used to draw 11 communities out of 22 communities in the study area. In second stage 10% of the study population was used. The questionnaires were validated by two experts from guidance and counselling and one from measurement and evaluation. Reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha method reliability estimate. Copies of the questionnaire were administered directly to the respondents. Linear regression was used for the data analysis.

RESULTS: The finding of the study revealed that older people of Ika South Local Government Area maintains positive attitude to ageing, that attitude to ageing is not a predictor of subjective health among older people of Ika South Local Government Area and attitude to ageing does not significantly predict quality of life among people of Ika South Local Government Area.

CONCLUSION: Based on the finding of the study, government and professional guidance counsellors should make use of the information generated from the study to organize workshop training for older people on what constitute subjective health quality of life and what constitute positive attitude to ageing.