Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: May | Volume: 9 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 68-74
Health Status of Senior Citizens Residing in Tarakeshwor Municipality, Kathmandu, Nepal
Uma Devi Ranjitkar1, Raj Devi Adhikari1, Ambika Chand2
1Associate Professor, 2Lecturer of Maharajgunj Nursing Campus, Kathmandu, Nepal
Corresponding Author: Uma Devi Ranjitkar
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Worldwide, in the 21st century, the numbers of senior citizens are increasing due to better facilities and advancement in medical science and technologies, increasing life expectancies, reducing morbidity rates, decreases in the fertility rate and the gradual ageing of the world’s population increasing thus, the morbidity patterns of senior citizens which required more health attention among them. Old age is associated with physical and mental health problems. Studies reported that non communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes are common in old age adding the diseases burden in both developed and developing countries. The objective of the study is to find out the health status of senior citizens.
Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional research design was used for conducting this research study among 462 senior citizens 70 and above, residing in Tarakeshwor Municipality, w ere included in a study by using non-probability purposive sampling technique. Health status problems of senior citizens was assessed by team members of faculty research from December 25th 2017 to March 23rd 2018 through individual interview method by using pretested structured interview guideline in Nepali version. Data was analyzed by using the descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-square test) data was analyzed by using SPSS version 16.
Results: Findings of this study shows that out of462 senior citizens, majority (77.9%) of them belonged to age group of 70-80 years, with male female ratio is about 1:1 (50.2% male), 68.6% were married and living with spouse and 80.7% of them were unable to read and write. Regarding the source of income, 95.2% had other source of income including senior citizen allowance, and 58% of their needs were partially meet by the family income. Likewise, 69% of them lived with their spouses, among them 85.3% of them were supportive. Majority (82.7%) of them were independent, where as 14.3% were partially dependent and 3% were fully dependent with their family on performing basic daily living activities. Regarding physical health status, among 462 respondents, only 2.6% had no any physical problems where as97.4% of them had some physical problems and almost all (90%) were suffering from at least four health problems. The most common physical health problems were musculoskeletal (87.4%), gastrointestinal (82.9%), dental (82.3%), eyes (68.4%), genitourinary (65.6%) and neurological problems (58.9%).Regarding psychological status, more than half (52.8%) of them had no depression where as 30.3%, 8.4% and 8.4% had mild, moderate and severe level of depression respectively. Study shows there is statistically significant association between physical health problems and ethnicity, educational status and main source of income (P<0.05). Similarly, there is statistically significant association between psychological health problems with gender, ethnicity, marital status, type of family, educational status, current occupation, main source of income and economic status (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Based on these findings, this study concluded that almost all of the senior citizens were suffering from multiple physical problems. Nearly half of them had some levels of depression. Thus, Tarakeshwor Municipality needs to plan and implement regular proper health programme for maintaining physical health status and improving psychological health status of senior citizens.
Key words: Senior Citizens, Physical Health Status, Psychological Health Status