Variables Relatedto Quality of Life among Men and Women over Forty Years of Age in Alexandria City

This study basically aims to set a guiding program emerging from studying the relation between food pattern and quality of life among men and women who are above forty years old in Alexandria. To achieve this goal, the study includes the following sub-goals:
1- Knowing social and economic properties of the respondents.
2- Studying food pattern and awareness and healthy awareness through:
A-   Studying Food Pattern of the Respondents

Meals
Main dishes
Dinner meal
Favorite food

B-   Food & Healthy Awareness
1-    Food awareness.
2-    Healthy awareness.
3-    Studying healthy changes after the age of forty.
4-    Studying causes of catching diseases after the age of forty.
5-    Studying quality through:
- Sport activity
- Sleeping
- Tension
- Social belonging
The study is done on a accidental sample consisting of 116 respondents out of a total 130 thousands related to Seyof clinic (workers +Retired), First area related to Healthy Insurance North-Western Alexandria. Data was collected by interviewing the respondents. Points of the questionnaire were as follows:
First: Social and Economic Properties of the Respondents. Second: Data related to Food Pattern and Food and Healthy Awareness: These data include: meals, main dish, dinner, favorite food and food-healthy awareness. Third: Healthy changes after the age of forty, catching diseases, awareness of disease causes. Forth: Date about quality of life including sport activity, sleeping, tension and social belonging. Statistical data of the study was treated through computer using a specialized program in statistical analysis. Percentages and frequencies were calculated.
Results of the Study:
First: Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Respondents:
- Gender: Results show that 60.3% of the respondents were females.
- Marital Status: Results show that 72.5% of the respondents are married and sponsored Theier Family. Age category: Results show that 22.4% of the respondents were between 51-55 years.
- Educational status: Results show that 34.7% of respondents had the Master’s Degree or the Bachelor Degree..
- Job: Results show that 31.9% of respondents were administrators.
- Body Mass Index: Results show that 40.5% of respondenteds were fat.
- Teeth Status: Results show that 63% of respondents lack some teeth.
Second: Food Pattern, Food & Healthy Awareness:
1-    Food Pattern:
A)   Meals
Results show that 75% of respondents had their breakfast meal permanently.
B)   Dinner
Results show that 34.6% of respondents permanently had their dinner during watching TV.
C)   Food Awareness
Results show that 82.8% of respondents thougt that one of Vitamin C sources are the citrus.
D)   Healthy Awareness
Results show that 76.8% of respondents think that by growing in age the cholesterol deposits on the internal wall of blood vessels and this leads to blockage in these vessels. Results show that there is a significant linking relation at a probable level of 0.01 between food pattern and food awareness. Correlation coefficient value was (0.371^**),  Chi-Square: 37.759 at significant level of 0.856.
Third: Healthy Changes after the Age of Forty:
a)    Catching the disease
Results show that 88.8% of respondents suffered from catching diseases .
b)    Awareness of Causes of Diseases
Results show that 75% of respondents though that not caring with healthy status after the age of forty is correct. Results also show that there is a significant linking relation at a probable level of 0.01 between food pattern and healthy changes. Correlation coefficient value was (0.525**), Chi-Square value: 41.172 at significant level 0.0860
Forth: Quality of Life:
A)   Sport Activity
Results show that 96% of respondents did not practice sport activities.
B)   Tension
Results show that 44% of respondents always suffered from psychological symptoms of tension, mood swings, and high sensitivity. Results show that 33.6% of respondents sufferer from actual tension symptoms and suffered from permanent problems of memory and inability to concentrate. Results also show that 37.1% of respondents suffered from behavioral tension symptoms and from permanent over-interaction with unexpected problems. Moreover, results show that 60.3% of respondents suffered from physical tension symptoms and from the feeling of headache. Practical results show that there is a relation.
 
 
C)   Social Belonging
Results show that 9.71% of respondents thougt that “the goal of life is to carry out my work without waiting for external guidance” permanently. Chi-Square value was 22.448 at significant level 1.000. The following results indicate the following probable relations:
- There is a relation between food pattern and quality of life at probable level 0.01.
- There is a relation between food awareness and quality of life at probable level 0.12.
- There is a relation between healthy variables and quality of life at probable level 0.01.
- There is a relation between healthy and food awareness with healthy changes at probable level 0.01.