Non-vocational health-related correlates of quality of life for older adults living with multiple sclerosis

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) often report lower quality of life (QOL) than people without disabilities. Beyond the neurological and disease-related factors associated with MS, employment status has been consistently identified as an important determinant of QOL. However, it is not clear what factors are important contributors to the QOL of older people with MS when they start to withdraw from employment due to age or to the disease. This study used data from a national survey to explore four types of variables that could impact the QOL of people with MS aged 55-88 years (N = 703, Mage = 63.0, SD = 6.1): (1) demographic characteristics (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, gender, marital status, educational attainment, financial status); (2) disease-related characteristics (e.g., MS course, number of symptoms, severity of symptoms, mobility limitations); (3) cognitive functioning; and (4) perceived stress. A backward stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that gender, marital status, current financial status, MS course, number of symptoms, severity of MS symptoms, and perceived stress were negatively related to QOL. This research underscores the importance of investigating the potential psychological and social impact of MS on QOL beyond employment-related factors for older individuals in order to develop and deliver beneficial interventions on their behalf.