Assessing Quality of Life and its Predictors among Elderly Patients in a Tertiary Health Facility in Nigeria

Background: The quality of life (QoL) among older adults is an important indicator of successful ageing, yet it remains underexplored in Nigeria’s healthcare context. Purpose: This study assessed quality of life, its associated factors and challenges among geriatric patients attending the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 150 geriatric patients aged 60 years and above using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire adapted from the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including multivariate logistic regression, to identify predictors of quality of life. Results: Findings revealed that 12.1% of participants reported good QoL, 53.4% moderate, and 34.5% poor. Overall, a moderate quality of life (grand mean = 3.0) was reported. The environmental (mean = 3.2) and psychological (mean = 3.1) domains recorded the highest scores, while physical health (mean = 2.9) scored lowest. Major factors associated with quality of life were chronic illness (3.6 ± 1.18), long-term management for over a year (3.7 ± 1.14), difficulty adhering to medications (3.8 ± 1.09) and physical limitations (3.4 ± 1.22). Multivariate analysis showed that educational attainment (OR = 4.57; 95% CI:1.16 – 18.02, p = 0.005) and income level (OR = 5.25; 95% 1.25 – 22.08; p = 0.003) were the strongest predictors of better quality of life, while age, gender, and religion were not statistically significant. Respondents reported notable challenges with health (3.6 ± 1.16), mobility (3.5 ± 1.19), finances (3.4 ± 1.24), and not following treatment or medication plan strictly (3.7 ± 1.11). Conclusion: Geriatric patients had an overall moderate quality of life, with physical health being the most affected domain. Chronic illness, physical limitations, and challenges with medication adherence significantly influenced quality of life, while higher education and income predicted better outcomes. Implications for Nursing: Targeted geriatric interventions focusing on physical health, medication adherence, and socio-economic support are needed to improve quality of life among older adults. Keywords: Quality of life, Geriatric patients, Ageing, Education, Income, Nigeria, WHOQOL-BREF.