A study on health profile of geriatric population in an urban slum of bijapur

Abstract

Background: Advances in medical field have increased the longevity of people by reducing morbidity and mortality to a great extent. With the increase in longevity, problems related to old age have also increased. These problems are more confounded by social factors. Objective: To assess the various health problems faced by elderly people and suggest the remedial measures so that effective preventive and promotive measures can be implemented. Methodology: Community based cross-sectional study of the elderly persons residing in an urban slum of Bijapur. Results: Among acute health problems most common were arthritis (39%) and bronchitis (20.8%). Most common chronic illness observed was respiratory illness 19% (COPD and asthma) fallowed by visual impairment (11.5%), arthritis (11.1%), and hypertension (9.1%) Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) showed that majority of respondents 297 (60%) were having the normal score. Conclusion: The pattern of geriatric health problems have different characteristics and hence require a specific type of screening programme based on the finding of various geriatric health studies .