Does somatization influence quality of life among older primary care patients?

Background: Among older people, somatization has been reported to be common and to be predictive of high attendance in primary care. Its relationship with quality of life among older people has not been investigated.

Objectives: The objective was to establish whether, among older primary care attenders, somatized symptoms are independently associated with relevant measures of quality of life.

Method: Older primary care attenders (n = 127) completed measures of somatized symptoms, psychiatric status, physical health and health-related quality of life. Logistic regression analyses established independent relationships of health and sociodemographic variables with reports of overall quality of life, overall health, restriction of physical activities by health and restriction of social activities by health.

Results: For all four outcomes, somatized symptoms independently predicted poorer quality of life ratings.

Conclusions: Somatized symptoms independently influence quality of life in older primary care patients and are worthy of clinical attention.