Abstract
Background: Monitoring health outcomes is important to develop strategies and measures to promote health equity. However, little is known regarding psychosocial well-being among middle-aged adults living with disabilities in Norway. This study examines and compares trends in life satisfaction over two decades among middle-aged adults reporting slight, moderate or severe disabilities due to motor, vision, hearing, physical illness or mental health problems.
Methods: Cross-sectional data was used from three waves in the North Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT-Study), HUNT2 1995-97 (T1), HUNT3 2006-08 (T2), and HUNT4 2017 (T3). A sub-sample was used of participants aged 45-64 years (N=48 070; mean age=54.6). Crude models comparing mean scores were performed to investigate trends in life satisfaction (single-item 1-7) for disability type and severity.
Results: Life satisfaction has improved between T1 and T3 cohorts across most disability types and severities. However, when comparing trends between each time point, mean scores increased across all groups between T1 and T2, and decreased across most groups between T2 and T3. Comparing total group mean scores at T3, persons with disability due to hearing or vision impairment reported the highest overall mean scores (5.17 and 5.16, respectively), whilst those with disability due to mental health problems reported the least overall mean scores (4.39).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that life satisfaction has slightly improved over the last two decades in Norway among middle-aged adults living with different types and severities of disability. Decline in life satisfaction occurred across most groups between years 2008-2017. Slight disparities in life satisfaction are observed between persons with different types of disability. These findings may be used for future studies examining health trends and determinants of health among persons with disabilities and may contribute towards developing initiatives to promote health equity.
Methods: Cross-sectional data was used from three waves in the North Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT-Study), HUNT2 1995-97 (T1), HUNT3 2006-08 (T2), and HUNT4 2017 (T3). A sub-sample was used of participants aged 45-64 years (N=48 070; mean age=54.6). Crude models comparing mean scores were performed to investigate trends in life satisfaction (single-item 1-7) for disability type and severity.
Results: Life satisfaction has improved between T1 and T3 cohorts across most disability types and severities. However, when comparing trends between each time point, mean scores increased across all groups between T1 and T2, and decreased across most groups between T2 and T3. Comparing total group mean scores at T3, persons with disability due to hearing or vision impairment reported the highest overall mean scores (5.17 and 5.16, respectively), whilst those with disability due to mental health problems reported the least overall mean scores (4.39).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that life satisfaction has slightly improved over the last two decades in Norway among middle-aged adults living with different types and severities of disability. Decline in life satisfaction occurred across most groups between years 2008-2017. Slight disparities in life satisfaction are observed between persons with different types of disability. These findings may be used for future studies examining health trends and determinants of health among persons with disabilities and may contribute towards developing initiatives to promote health equity.