Health of the elderly in a community in transition

A survey in Thiruvananthapuram City, Kerala, India

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11490706
AutoresK Vijaya Kumar, YS SIVAN, Y S Sivan (Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology), REGHU RAM DAS (Peermade Development Society), Raman Kutty (0000-0003-2849-5597, Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, autor de correspondencia), V Raman Kutty
Año1994
Volumen9
Número3
Páginas331-336
Fecha de publicación1994-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHealth Policy and Planning (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0268-1080 • E-ISSN: 1460-2237
EditorialOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/heapol/9.3.331
PMID10137745
OpenAlexW2009837647
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1

Results of a survey to assess the health and functional status of the elderly (defined as those who are 60 years or older) in Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Kerala state, India, are discussed. As the process of development results in longevity without concomitant economic success, traditional support systems break down. The differences in status of the elderly dependent on gender and socioeconomic class are highlighted. Women are poorer and generally suffer more morbidity than men in old age, even though their death rates are lower. The better-off among the elderly enjoy a quality of life much superior to their poor brethren. Thus, in transitional societies such as Kerala, socioeconomic status and gender play a significant role in determining the quality of life of the elderly, a finding which may have some policy implications.

Demographic transition · Environmental health · Fertility · Geography · Longevity · Political science · Population · Quality of life (healthcare) · Social class · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Demography · Global Health Care Issues · Health disparities and outcomes · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Gerontology