Table 1 Description of the indicators of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) included in the study, Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), 2017–18

Self-rated health

In general, would you say your health is excellent, very good, good, fair and poor?

Recoding into ordered categories

[good, fair, poor]

Work limiting health conditions

Do you have any impairment or health problem that limits the kind or amount of paid work you can do?

Recoding in binary categories

[no, yes]

Mobility

Do you have difficulty with…..?

1. Walking 100 yards (yes/no)

2. Sitting for 2 h or more (yes/no)

3. Getting up from chair after sitting for long period (yes/no)

4. Climbing one flight of stairs without resting (yes/no)

5. Stooping, kneeling or crouching

6. Reaching or extending arms above shoulder level (either arm) (yes/no)

7. Pulling or pushing large objects

8. Lifting or carrying weights over five kilos, like a heavy bag of groceries (yes/no)

9. Picking up a coin from a table (yes/no)

Scoring Method + Recoding into binary categories

[none, at least one]

Activities of daily living (ADL)

Because of your health or memory problem, do you have any difficulty with…?

1. Dressing, including putting on chappals, shoes, etc. (yes/no)

2. Walking across a room (yes/no)

3. Bathing (yes/no)

4. Eating difficulties (yes/no)

5. Getting in or out of bed (yes/no)

6. Using the toilet, including getting up and down (yes/no)

ADL score

Count Variable (range 0–6)

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL)

Because of your health or memory problem, do you have any difficulty with…?

1. Preparing a hot meal (cooking and serving) (yes/no)

2. Shopping for groceries (yes/no)

3. Making telephone calls (yes/no)

4. Taking medications (yes/no)

5. Doing work around the house or garden (yes/no)

6. Managing money, such as paying bills and keeping track of expenses (yes/no)

7. Getting around or finding address in unfamiliar place (yes/no)

IADL score

Count Variable (range 0–7)

Life satisfaction

Please say how much do you strongly agree, slightly agree, neither agree nor disagree, slightly disagree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements

1. In most ways my life is close to ideal

2. The conditions in my life are excellent

3. I am satisfied with my life

4. So far, I have got the important things I want in life

5. If I could live my life again, I would change almost nothing

Categories of all the five questions were made unidirectional. Internal consistency was checked using Cronbach’s alpha. Further, the scores were generated using a multiple correspondence analysis. These scores were recategorized to form Life satisfaction with three ordered categories namely (Low, Medium, High)