Psychosocial Determinants Of Morbidity In The Aged In A Rural Area Of Punjab, India

Background: In most countries, proportion of people more than 60 years of age is growing much faster than that in any other age group. It is an established fact now that the world over, there will be a significant increase in the proportion of people with conditions like dementias and Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study to determine the morbidity pattern of geriatric population residing in a rural area of the state of Punjab in India. All individuals ≥60 years of age, who were permanent residents of this village were included in the study.

Results: Out of the total 265 study subjects who participated in the study, 53.72% were males and 46.28% were females. The most common morbidities found in the study subjects were those pertaining to the musculoskeletal system. Amongst these, the most common was chronic low back ache. An equal percentage of male and female study subjects had ophthalmic morbidities, with the most common findings being refractive errors and cataract followed by glaucoma. Cardiovascular cases had a majority of hypertension cases. There was a significant percentage of psychiatric cases. Amongst them, the common ones were those having depression and dementia.

Conclusion: More number of women neglected their health compared to the males. The health seeking behavior of the menfolk was better than the women. Preventive, curative and rehabilitative programmes for the elderly need to be improved and health education as well as awareness drives need to be undertaken for better dissemination of the facilities provided by the government.