A Network Analysis of Quality of Life Among Older Adults Living in Rural Agricultural Communities: Implications for Community Health
Keywords:
Quality of Life, Older Adults, Network AnalysisAbstract
Thailand is rapidly transitioning into an aging society, with rural agricultural communities experiencing the greatest demographic impact due to youth outmigration and limited access to healthcare services. Understanding the quality of life (QoL) of older adults in these settings is essential for guiding effective community health strategies. This descriptive cross-sectional study examined the structural relationships among QoL domains using the World Health Organization Quality of Life–Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD, Thai version, which demonstrated content validity and a reliability coefficient of 0.87). A total of 381 older adults who continued to engage in agricultural work in Lan Saka District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, were recruited, and the data were analyzed using network analysis with the EBICglasso method.
Results revealed that the strongest partial correlation occurred between autonomy and past–present–future activities (partial r = 0.34). Past–present–future activities demonstrated the highest predictability (R² = 0.71). Centrality analysis showed that social participation (strength = 1.12) and past–present–future activities (strength = 1.11) were the most influential domains within the QoL network.
These findings suggest that “social participation” and “past–present–future activities,” which reflect a sense of value and life roles, should be prioritized as key directions in area-based community health initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of older adults in agricultural communities.
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