QUALITY OF LIFE IN INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS OLDER PERSONS IN THE NORTH OF CHILE

Résumé 0

"The present study analyses differences in Quality of Life (QOL) in their different domains among indigenous and non-indigenous older persons in Chile. The sample was made up of 777 older Chilean people, including 232 indigenous (Aymara) participants. The WHOQOL-BREF scale was used. Data were processed with standard statistical tests (chi square and Student´s t-test). Significant differences were found in the QOL domains according to ethnicity. Non-indigenous older persons felt pain more often than Aymaras (16 vs 9%), needed more medical treatment (24 vs 13%). In the social relationships domain, non-indigenous participants were more satisfied than the indigenous group with personal relationships (63 vs 50%) and with social support from friends (45 vs 33%). Non-indigenous participants reported a higher level of satisfaction with living and household conditions (64 vs 55%) and with social and healthcare services (59 vs 47%). The relevance of ethnicity for QOL is addressed using the WHOQoL-BREF. Social inequalities related to ethnicity could help to explain the findings."