LIFESTYLE INDUCED MORBIDITIES AMONG ELDERLY IN INDIA

Introduction: The non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause 63 percent of all cases of deaths in developing countries, 90 percent of people die before age of 60. Major NCDs in India are cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes,... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction: The non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause 63 percent of all cases of deaths in developing countries, 90 percent of people die before age of 60. Major NCDs in India are cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, mental health disorders, injuries and cancer. Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death in the South-East Asia, killing nearly 8 million annually. Methods: A study analyses the primary survey data of ‘Build a Knowledge base on Population Ageing in India’, conducted by Institute for Social and Economic Change in 2011. The focused of this survey was on socioeconomic, health and psychological aspects of elderly in seven selected states viz. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Orissa and West Bengal of India. The total of 8,329 household and 9,852 elderly interviews were conducted in rural and urban areas.

Results: The prevalence rate of arthritis disorder was 32% among elderly; it was highest in Punjab (52%) followed by 45% in Himachal Pradesh and 42% in Maharashtra. The prevalence of diabetes among elderly was around 10%, Kerala had highest prevalence rate (27%) of diabetes compare to the other states followed by the Punjab (13%) and Maharashtra (8%). Similarly the prevalence rate of hypertension was highest among Kerala (44%) followed by Punjab (39%) and West Bengal (28%). Three fourth of the elderly seek treatment from private health facilities (71%) whereas only one-fourth (26%) access government facilities. Mainly the expenditure on treatment of elderly was financed by son followed by self-finance and others. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of arthritis disorder was 32% among elderly whereas 10% had diabetes, 8% were suffering from asthma, 24% reported hypertension and 64% elderly had any NCDs. Three four of the elderly seek treatment from private health facilities (71%) on the other hand only one-fourth (26%) access government facilities for diabetes and hypertension.