Public health nursing interventions to promote quality of life in older adult populations: A systematic review

Abstract

This review analyzes how nurse-led public health interventions promote quality of life (QoL) among older populations. Using Medline and Cinahl databases, authors completed a systematic review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies published between January 2010 and March 2016 that described interventions used by public health nurses to address health needs of older adult populations. Lawton’s theoretical QoL concepts and the Public Health Intervention Wheel model, which names interventions at the individual, community and systems levels, were used to interpret results. The 23 studies were widely distributed geographically. Four of Lawton’s theoretical QoL domains (Health, Functional Health, Personal Competency, Psychological Well-Being) were addressed in the majority of studies. Although public health nurses used Wheel interventions at all levels of practice, individual level interventions were featured in studies to a greater extent in comparison to community and systems level interventions. Few studies used QoL measures to determine intervention effectiveness.  Nurses should consider QoL domains, as they design individual, community, and systems level interventions to improve the health of older adult populations.