Assessment of gastrointestinal symptoms and its effect on quality of life among elderly

Aim: The aim of this study was to assessment of gastrointestinal symptoms and its effect on quality of life among elderly. Material and Methods: The descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with 384 elderly registered in Manisa Provincial Health Directorate between July 2018 and March 2019. The data were collected using face to face interview technique with a identification form, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale and Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index. Arithmetic averages, standard deviation (SD), percentage, descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis were used in statistical analysis. Results: The mean age of the elderly was 75.2 ± 6.2 (65-89) years, and the majority of the patients were male (51.1%). When evaluating general health conditions of elderly it was found that hypertension in 30.8%, diabetes in 4.1%, heart disease in 27.1% and drug used related to chronic diseases. The most common gastrointestinal symptoms in the elderly were indigestion (85.3%), abdominal pain (84.2%) and constipation (82.9%). The mean score of the elderly individuals from the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index was 86.3 ± 5.5. A negative significant correlation was defined between indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that the most common gastrointestinal symptoms were indigestion, constipation and diarrhea, and gastrointestinal quality of life decreased as these symptoms increased among elderly. Key words: Endoscopy-digestive system, signs and symptoms, life satisfaction