Health status, lifestyle and quality of life in older adults of rural and urban areas of Tarragona province (Catalonia, Spain): a cross-sectional descriptive study.

BACKGROUND

People over 60 years old represent 26.5% of the world's population, and enhancing health emerges as an opportunity. Thus, this study aims to describe and compare the health status (sarcopenia parameters), lifestyles, quality of life, and malnutrition risk of older adults from rural and urban areas of Tarragona province (Catalonia, Spain).

METHODS

The study was a cross-sectional study comparing rural and urban areas of Tarragona province, including 14 of 61 villages as rural areas (500- ≤ 2,000 inhabitants) and 5 of 8 cities as urban areas (≥ 20,000 inhabitants). The variables assessed were: sarcopenia parameters (muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance) and lifestyles (diet, physical activity, sleep quality), quality of life and risk of malnutrition. A total of 291 older adults, n = 189 (rural areas) and n = 102 (urban areas), including 80% women with a mean age of 67.37 (rural areas) and 69.12 (urban areas), were studied.

RESULTS

The mean of muscle mass (kg) is higher in men from rural areas (57.59 ± 7.01 vs. 53.48 ± 6.82; p = 0.047) than in urban areas. Compared with urban areas, more people from rural areas accomplish the recommendations of consumption of fruits and vegetables (13.8% vs. 4.9%; p = 0.019), and dairy products (95.8% vs. 88.2%; p = 0.015) along with their high-intensity physical activity (76.7% vs. 65%; p = 0.046). Additionally, in rural areas, more people presented better sleep and quality of life, including physical and emotional roles dimensions, than the urban areas individuals (p ≤ 0.05). No difference among groups was shown in nutritional status.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia parameters of urban and rural older adults are similar, except for the highest muscle mass of older adults from rural areas compared to urban ones. In addition, older adults living in rural areas show healthier lifestyles and better quality of life than urban individuals, reinforcing the importance of adapting actions according to the people's environment.