INTRODUCTION:

Many myths have their origin in the mystery that surrounds women, her hidden reproductive organs and Indian demographic scenario: 2025 by Bhat Mari P.N (Institute of Economic Growth. New Delhi, 2001) mentions that aging is a time of multiple illnesses. Poor health is repeatedly cited by the aged as one of their most serious problems. Society generally considers old age as synonymous with illness. Life is not mere living but living in good health applies particularly to the elderly. Proper care and support in the end of their lives can lead to healthy aging.^3,4

World Health Organization’s Active Ageing a Policy Framework (April 2002) says that model of healthy ageing describes that it is necessary for elderly people to play an active role in maintaining physical and mental health and to optimize their capacity as much as possible until the end of life. As people age, they are exposed to different life experiences. The accumulation of these differences in experience makes older adults more diverse than any other age group.⁶

HeitkemperS Lewis and E. Dirksen describes biological ageing is a multifactorial process involving genetics, oxidative stress, diet and environment. The physiological changes affect the every body system. Ageing process occurs in every living species. The changes which occur in human being are: graying of hair, wrinkling of the skin, hardening of the arteries, aches; pain in joints, weakening of eyesight, and decrease in memory power etc.²

OBJECTIVES

1. To assess the Health status of elderly people.

2. To find the association of health status of elderly people with their selected demographic variables viz age, gender, education, type of old age home, duration of stay at old age home

HYPOTHESIS:

H1: There will be a significant association between the health status of elderly people and the selected demographic variables.

METHODOLOGY:

Research Design: The research design selected for study was non experimental descriptive survey design.

Sampling technique: Convenience sampling technique.

Sample: sample size was 500 elderly people in selected old age homes of Chamarajanagar District.

SETTING: The present study was conducted in selected old age homes in Chamarajanagar District

VARIABLES:

Research variable: health status of elderly people.

Demographic variables: age, gender, education, type of old age home, duration of stay at old age home.

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUE

Section A - It deals with socio demographic characteristics which include age, gender, education, type of old age home, duration of stay at old age home.

Section B - The standardized RAND 36 item health survey scale to assess health status.

RESULTS:

Section 1: Selected personal variables of the elderly people.

TABLE 1: Frequency and percentage distribution of elderly people in selected demographic characteristics N=500

Demographic Characteristics of samples	Category	Frequency	Percentage
Age	60-70years	165	33.0
	71-80 years	205	41.0
	81-90 years	115	23.0
	91 years and above	15	3.0
Gender	Male	235	47.0
Gender	Female	265	53.0
Education	Illiterate	45	9.0
	Up to SSLC	265	53.0
	Diploma	50	10.0
	Degree	125	25.0
	Post graduate	15	3.0
Religion	Hindu	460	92.0
Religion	Christian	40	8.0
Duration of stay in old age home	0-1 Year	215	43.0
Duration of stay in old age home	1-5 Years	170	34.0

Section 2: Health status of elderly people.

Table 2: Health Status level of elderly N = 500

Health Status	Frequency	Percentage (%)
Good health status	85	17.0
Moderate health status	395	79.0
Poor health status	20	4.0
Total	500	100

Table 3: Mean, mean and standard deviation of Health status of elderly people N = 500

Maximum Score

Mean

Mean %

Health status

100

56.13

16.13

Section 3: Association between health status of elderly people with their selected personal variables. The selected personal variables such as age, gender, education and duration of stay at old age were having significant association with the health status of elderly people at 0.05 level.

CONCLUSION:

The findings of the study revealed that majority (78%) of elderly people had moderate health status. Data shows that mean score of the health status was found to be 56.13 with the standard deviation of 16.13 which indicates that elderly people have moderate health status. The findings of the study also revealed that the health status of elderly people had significant association with their selected personal variables viz. age, gender, education and duration of stay at old age at 0.05 level of significance. There is a necessity to improve the health status of elderly to improve the quality of life.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The following recommendations were made based on the results of the study.

1 Improve the health facilities at old age home to provide quality of life.

2 Regular health screening should be done on priority.

3 The necessary interventions to be adopted to improve the health status of elderly people.

REFERENCES:

1. Bhat Mari P.N. Indian demographic scenario 2025. Institute of Economic Growth. New Dehli, 2001, retrieved https://openlibrary.org/books/OL3537390M/Indian_demographic_scenario_2025.

2. Lewis S, Heitkemper, Dirksen E. Text Book of Medical Surgical Nursing. Seventh edition 2011.Mosby Publishing.32-55.

3. Health status of older adults. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. The National Health Interview Survey-2005.

4. WHO/OMS: Extrane Systems. Retrieved http://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/WHO-Active-Ageing-Framework.pdf [Accessed 25 Mar. 2018].

5. E Macia, P Duboz, L Gueye, Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among adults 50 years and older in Dakar, Senegal, Cardiovascular Journal of Africa. 2012 Jun; 23(5): 265–269.

6. Central Statistics Office Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India, New Delhi 2016 Retrieved from http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/ElderlyinIndia_2016.pdf

Received on 06.08.2021 Modified on 18.11.2021

Int. J. of Advances in Nur. Management. 2022; 10(1):33-34.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2652.2022.00008