Comprehensive geriatric assessment for community‐dwelling elderly in Asia compared with those in Japan: VI. Maubin in Myanmar

Abstract

Background: The objective of the present study is to compare the findings of comprehensive geriatric assessments of community‐dwelling elderly in Maubin township, Myanmar with those in Japan.Methods: A cross‐sectional, study was undertaken of community‐dwelling people aged 60 years and over who were living in downtown Maubin and two rural villages near Maubin city, and 411 people aged 65 years and over who were living in Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan. They were examined using a common comprehensive geriatric assessment tool, which included interviews regarding activities of daily living (ADL), medical and social history, quality of life (QOL) and the 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale. Anthropometric, neurobehavioral and blood chemical examinations were also conducted. Using anova and Post Hoc Scheffe's F‐test, findings from the three groups were compared.Results: Scores of basic ADL, instrumental self‐maintenance, intellectual activities, social roles, QOL, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence, body mass index, total cholesterol levels, blood hemoglobin levels and HDL levels were lower in Myanmar's elderly subjects than in Japanese ones. There was no significant difference in prevalence of depression. Mean blood pressure measurements and rates of subjects with systolic pressure > 140 mmHg or diastolic pressure > 90 mmHg and prevalence of stroke were higher in downtown Maubin than in Japan. The atherogenic index was higher in Myanmar's elderly than in Japanese.Conclusion: In Myanmar subjects had lower ADL and QOL scores than Japanese elderly. Of particular note is the higher prevalence of anemia and subjects with history of stroke in Myanmar than in Japan. Further study is needed to detect the cause of high prevalence of stroke in Myanmar.