Health And Social Problems Of Geriatric Population In An Urban Setting Of Gujarat, India

Change in socio-economic status and various health problems adversely affect an individual's way of life during old age .The present study attempts to assess the health and social problems of the elderly and their attitude towards life in an urban area of Gujarat. A total of 311 elderly persons (60 years old and above) were interviewed using a pre-tested schedule. Around 66% of the patients belonged to the age group of 60-69 years old. Nearly 13% of the respondents were illiterate. Around 56% felt they were not happy in life. A majority of them had health problems such as hypertension followed by arthritis, diabetes, constipation etc. About 44% of the respondents said that they were not loved by family members. The results of the study showed that there is a need for geriatric counseling centers that can take care of their physical and psychological needs. The study was done by the Department of Community Medicine, Medical College, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.