Anwar Afsana, Kurt Gulsah, Yadav Uday Narayan, Huda Md Nazmul, Ghimire Saruna, Bhattacharjee Shovon, Arora Amit, Ali Mehrab, Mondal Probal Kumar, Rizwan Abu Ansar Md, Shuvo Suvasish Das, Mistry Sabuj Kanti
Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
BMC Geriatr. 2025 Sep 24;25(1):698. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06227-7.
Ensuring a good quality of life (QOL) among older refugees is a critical yet underexplored aspect of humanitarian support. Older adults in refugee settings often face unmet basic and healthcare needs, which adversely impact their QOL. This study examines the level of QOL and its determinants among older adults residing in Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in five sub-camps of Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, between November and December 2021. The study participants were older adults (≥ 60 years), and data were collected using face-to-face interviews. QOL was assessed using the Older People’s Quality of Life (OPQOL-brief) tool, and data on socio-demographics, self-reported diseases, and lifestyle factors were collected via a pre-tested questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with QOL.
Among 864 participants, the majority were male (56.3%), aged 60–69 years (72.3%), and married (79.1%). Approximately three-quarters (71.6%) of participants reported having good QOL. Females (aOR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.49–0.98), married participants (aOR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.31–0.74) and those with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (aOR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.39–0.75) had significantly lower odds of good QOL than their respective counterparts. Conversely, individuals who were employed (aOR = 3.67, 95% CI: 1.77–7.62), and those living with families (aOR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.12–3.04) had higher odds of good QOL than their counterparts.
The study found that more than one quarter of the Rohingya older adults did not exhibit a good quality of life, and females, unemployed, married participants, and those who were not living with families and suffering from NCDs were at risk. Targeted interventions are needed particularly for subgroups such as older females and those with chronic conditions. Policymakers and humanitarian organizations should prioritize strengthening social support, particularly for those living alone, to improve self-sufficiency, emotional well-being, and overall QOL.
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-025-06227-7.
确保老年难民拥有良好的生活质量（QOL）是人道主义支持中一个关键但尚未得到充分探索的方面。难民环境中的老年人往往面临未得到满足的基本需求和医疗保健需求，这对他们的生活质量产生了不利影响。本研究调查了居住在孟加拉国罗兴亚难民营的老年人的生活质量水平及其决定因素。
2021年11月至12月，在孟加拉国科克斯巴扎尔的罗兴亚难民营的五个分营地进行了一项横断面研究。研究参与者为老年人（≥60岁），通过面对面访谈收集数据。使用老年人生活质量（OPQOL - 简版）工具评估生活质量，并通过预先测试的问卷收集社会人口统计学、自我报告的疾病和生活方式因素的数据。多变量逻辑回归确定与生活质量相关的因素。
在864名参与者中，大多数为男性（56.3%），年龄在60 - 69岁之间（72.3%），已婚（79.1%）。大约四分之三（71.6%）的参与者报告生活质量良好。女性（调整后的比值比[aOR]=0.69，95%置信区间[CI]：0.49 - 0.98）、已婚参与者（aOR = 0.48，95% CI：0.31 - 0.74）和患有非传染性疾病（NCDs）的参与者（aOR = 0.54，95% CI：0.39 - 0.75）生活质量良好的几率明显低于各自的对照组。相反，就业者（aOR = 3.67，95% CI：1.77 - 7.62）和与家人同住者（aOR = 1.85，95% CI：1.12 - 3.04）生活质量良好的几率高于对照组。
研究发现，超过四分之一的罗兴亚老年人口生活质量不佳，女性、失业者、已婚参与者、与家人不住在一起且患有非传染性疾病的人面临风险。尤其需要针对老年女性和慢性病患者等亚群体进行有针对性的干预。政策制定者和人道主义组织应优先加强社会支持，特别是对独居者，以提高自给自足能力、改善情绪健康和整体生活质量。
在线版本包含可在10.1186/s12877 - 025 - 06227 - 7获取的补充材料。
