The Several Dimensions Of Quality Of Life In Indian Adults
The term “Quality of life” (QoL) has been generating interest of late in academia and media. QoL remains largely ambiguous & highly subjective as it refers to both the experiences of an individual and the living conditions people find themselves in. Interestingly, with an increase in life expectancy, people are aspiring for better QoL for maintaining long term good health.
As per WHO, Qol is an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. An individual’s perception of QoL is captured across four domains – physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment.
The COVID – 19 pandemic and the associated lock downs has had a physical impact, besides others, on our Quality of life (QoL). Irrespective of age, the restrictions have led to decrease in physical activity, impacting muscle health & mobility negatively affecting QoL. Adequate attention to Physical activity and Nutrition, specially protein, could help maintain lean body mass. Traditionally, our diets are mainly cereal based making it difficult to meet protein needs in terms of quality & quantity. There are several reports published about the low intake and low awareness about protein amongst Indians. IMRB study (2017) highlighted that 70 percent of urban Indians have diets deficient in protein. A recent Nielson survey revealed a knowledge gap in understanding of protein and inadequate protein consumption in India's daily diets. Similar results about protein deficient Indian diets have been reported by many researchers previously.
A recently published study in the International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology, explored the measurement of QoL as perceived by Indian Adults and the factors that impact QoL, namely health & nutrition besides other factors. The survey reached out to 2762 adults, both working and non-working, in 30 to 50 age group, in 8 cities across India. The study brings to light several interesting findings. It was observed that nearly half of the respondents (46.2%) had poor QoL. Men did better than women on QoL scores, while older adults had lower scores than younger adults. Amongst factors that positively impacted QoL were employment & higher economic status. Mumbai led with the highest percentage of respondents with good QoL. Interestingly, almost all respondents agreed that nutrition plays an important role in having a good QoL, however, large gaps in intakes of protein and micronutrients were observed. While 98% of the population was of the opinion that a protein rich nutrition is important for a good QoL, only 9% of the respondents fulfilled the daily requirement of protein with reference to recommended daily intakes. These findings suggest low intake of pulses, flesh foods, milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables, a reflection of poor dietary diversity & quality. Similar findings have been documented in a recent report published by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in 2020. The study concludes by establishing the importance of QoL assessment & its role in holistic approach towards health. This is a concern and certainly requires attention from the healthcare professionals, nutritionists, and consumers themselves.
QoL and wellbeing, have been pursued as goals across all stages of life by several leading global health organizations. The study in many ways nudges us to be mindful of the importance of nutrition in one of the important pillars of QoL– physical health. Being physically active during the pandemic is recommended irrespective of age and gender. This not only positively affects the psychology but also improves the immunity where Protein plays a significant role in addition to micronutrients like zinc, vitamins etc.
While we are amid the pandemic, where health and lifestyle of people have been negatively impacted, assessing QoL becomes imperative to take necessary steps towards improving it during and beyond the pandemic.
