Emotional Support Levels Can Predict Physical Functioning and Health Related Quality of Life among Elderly Taiwanese with Hip Fractures

There has been increasing interest in the role emotional support plays on recovery and the perceptions of health. However, the vast majority of studies have been based on data from Western nations. Little is known about hip-fractured elders in Asian countries. This study has examined the influences of emotional support on functional recovery, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among elderly patients in Taiwan.

Data were gathered from 126 hip fractured elders, in a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. Eleven items from the Medical Outcome Study (MOS) Social Support Survey were administered, in order to measure emotional support at 1 month after discharge. The Chinese Barthel Index (CBI), Lawton and Brody's instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale, and MOS Short Form-36 Taiwan version were administered at the end of months 1, 3, and 6 after discharge.

After controllong for covariates, greater levels of emotional support predicted a better recovery of the activities of daily living (ADL) (beta=0.23, P=0.04) and IADL (beta=0.03, P=0.03), and better HRQoL in seven of eight dimensions (P ranged from < 0.0001 to 0.04), except social function, emotional role , and physical role during the first 6 months after hospital discharge.

Emotional support can have a significant impact on the recovery of self- care ability, and different aspects of HRQoL during the first 6 months after discharge for hip fractured elders in Taiwan. Clinical implications were made, on the basis of these findings.