Ageing Well in the Over 45s: Using a Health Check Log

Abstract

This study aimed to promote health awareness, health monitoring skills, timely consultation with health professionals and health-related quality of life for persons 45 years and over through maintaining a specially-designed Health Check Log (HCL). A pre-/post-test quasi-experimental research design was employed with data triangulation, to compare health-related quality of life for treatments with matched controls. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 120 community-dwelling participants and 69 health professionals living and/or working in the South Eastern Sydney/Illawarra Area Health Service catchment area, and volunteer members of the Council on the Ageing. Eighty of the treatment group maintained the HCL for 12 months. Outcome measures included the SF-36 health survey, monthly/bi-monthly telephone/electronic mail interviews, feedback survey, and focus group discussions. The majority of treatments reported that keeping the HCL raised levels of awareness (69%), assisted in developing skills (59%) and confidence (57%) in assessing and monitoring health, and in adopting preventative illness approaches (54%). Stratified analyses of the SF-36 health survey revealed significant differences between groups at post-test; in particular, positive health perceptions in those who are retired and living on their own.