Assessment of Morbidity Profile and Health-Seeking Behaviour of Older Adults in a Rural Field Practice Area of a Tertiary Health Care Centre of Western Maharashtra

Abstract

Background: The diseases prevalent in the older adults need to be identified and their early diagnosis andtreatment is facilitated by a good health seeking behaviour. The present study was conducted with the objective of assessing the morbidity profile and health-seeking behaviour of older adults residing in the rural field practice area of a tertiary health care centre of Western Maharashtra.Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, 660 older adults were selected from the study population using systematic random sampling with population proportionate to sample size and assessed using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire and clinical examination. Data entry and analysis was done in Microsoft Excel.Conclusion: The major co-morbidities found in these older people were hypertension (49.4%), diabetes mellitus (43.3%), anaemia (26.1%) and cataract (15.6%). 13.0%study participants had symptoms like fever, cough, diarrhoea ,joint pain, etc. and out of these, 26 participants were not getting treatment. Health education regarding the importance of getting treatment during times of illness is necessary to bring about a change in their health-seeking behaviour.