Elderly Community Members Research Articles

Preparedness, Challenges, and Opportunities for Digital Intervention for Chronic Disease Management: A Qualitative Study in Rural Areas of South Korea

ABSTRACT Motivated by the prevalence of an aging population and the associated increase in chronic diseases, coupled with rising medical expenditure, the Korean government initiated a pilot project in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, a rural area, to implement a “smart online-to-offline (O2O) digital health care model” aimed at managing and preventing chronic diseases. However, there is limited understanding regarding perspectives and levels of preparedness for digital health among stakeholders at various levels. In-depth focus group interviews were conducted with elderly and non-elderly community members, health care providers, and staff members at Pyeongchang Health and Medical Center. The study found the presence of both positive and negative perceptions and a lack of preparedness across different levels. At the end-user level, it was observed that community members, especially the elderly, have low levels of health and digital literacy, compounded by limited access to social support. At the health care provider level, there was uncertainty about the acceptance of the digital health program. At the area level, the need to bolster health staff members and enhance their capacity was observed. Recommendations include: customizing the design of the online and offline service components by considering end-user factors (such as age, occupation, and household type) that may contribute to disparities in health; establishing a platform for providers to share their experiences to facilitate the effective incorporation of digital health into their practices; and preparing an appropriate provider payment mechanism.

The disappearing generation and climate change: evidence from Zimbabwe

The passing on of key elderly members of communities is presenting new challenges on the well-being of the natural environment as their disappearance signifies the end of Indigenous Knowledge that had protected the ecological environment. Using 60 in-depth interviews situated in 2 rural settlements in the Shamva District of Zimbabwe, complemented by documents on climate change literature, the article demonstrates that the dying of elderly community members is contributing to climate change. With unprecedented levels of migration globally in the absence of Indigenous Knowledge transfer, the continued survival of this important body of knowledge is seriously threatened and this is also greatly contributing to climate change. An end to the free-market economy has been proposed as a solution to address the global problem of climate change. However, the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge into the education curriculum, including its digitalisation, may go a long way in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Hypertension and Obesity Prevalence Among Young and Elderly Community Members in Mvita Sub-county, Mombasa County, Kenya

Hypertension and Obesity Prevalence Among Young and Elderly Community Members in Mvita Sub-county, Mombasa County, Kenya

Long-Term Survival Prediction Model for Elderly Community Members Using a Deep Learning Method.

In an aging society, maintaining healthy aging, preventing death, and enabling a continuation of economic activities are crucial. This study sought to develop a model for predicting survival times among community-dwelling older individuals using a deep learning method, and to identify the level of influence of various risk factors on the survival period, so that older individuals can manage their own health. This study used the Korean National Health Insurance Service claims data. We observed community-dwelling older people, aged 66 years, for 11 years and developed a survival time prediction model. Of the 189,697 individuals enrolled at baseline, 180,235 (95.0%) survived from 2009 to 2019, while 9462 (5.0%) died. Using deep-learning-based models (C statistics = 0.7011), we identified various factors impacting survival: Charlson's comorbidity index; the frailty index; long-term care benefit grade; disability grade; income level; a combination of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia; sex; smoking status; and alcohol consumption habits. In particular, Charlson's comorbidity index (SHAP value: 0.0445) and frailty index (SHAP value: 0.0443) were strong predictors of survival time. Prediction models may help researchers to identify potentially modifiable risk factors that may affect survival.

Redefining Kirant Rai Folk Narratives: Politics of Gender and Self-Identity

This paper examines how Kirant Rai folk narratives influence gendered representation, self-identity, and socio-political dynamics within the community. Particularly, it centers on four significant folk narratives: Hechchhakuppa, Yala Hang and Sakelung, Sawanam, and Sumdima and Paruhang, which I collected through extensive interviews conducted with knowledgeable elders, Mangpa, and elder community members. To analyze these narratives and uncover their thematic implications, the study employs Alan Dundes' functional theory and incorporates the political ideas of Ranciere. The primary data for this research consists of narrative texts supplemented by secondary data sourced from libraries and online resources. This study reveals that these folk narratives have played a pivotal role in shaping gendered representation, self-identity, and the individually valued roles that contribute to the socio-political dynamics prevalent in the community since the narratives' inception. By uncovering these findings, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the cultural significance and social dynamics of the people. It highlights the transformative power of these folk narratives and their influence on various aspects of the community's social fabric by broadening knowledge and appreciation of the Kirant Rai cultural heritage while, at the same time shedding light on the intricate interplay between narratives, gender roles, self-perception, and sociopolitical dynamics.

Relation between functional mobility and muscle strength of the elderly in a public physical activities program

Objective: to verify the relationship between functional mobility and muscle strength in a group of elderly people participating in a public program of physical activities, called “Programa Mexa-se”, in the Joinville/SC city. Methods: This was a quantitative, correlational descriptive study, carried out in a non-probabilistic, intentional type. Included a random sample of 42 elderly people (27 women and 15 men), aged between 60 and 75 years, to whom two balance tests were applied: the Sit and Stand Test (TSL) and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT). The elderly also answered a questionnaire about sociodemographic factors, health and physical activity. Results: Statistically significant (p<0.05) relationships were found for TUGT, evidencing that there is astatistically significant correlation between TUGT and TSL (p <0.022). Regarding the values obtained for TSL with TVM, it also observeda significant correlation (p <0.000), as well as toTUGT and TVM (p <0.003). Conclusion: This study showeda correlation between the functional mobility of the elderly through TSL and TVM tests result. Alsodemonstrated that the group participating in the program had positive resultsregarding the level of physical activity practiced. This results indicates the importance of optimization in the prevention and rehabilitation programs for the elderly, to maintain the functional mobility of elderly community members and reduce the body mass index.

Correlation Between Mini Nutritional Assessment and Anthropometric Measurements Among Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals in Rural Southern Thailand.

PurposeThe Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) can be applied to assess nutrition status among community-dwelling elderly individuals by health care professionals. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of MNA score and anthropometric measurements, gait speed, and handgrip strength among elderly community members. The secondary outcome was to compare the performance of the MNA-SF with the full MNA.Materials and MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional study with 176 elderly individuals aged ≥60 years living in rural southern Thailand. The MNA-SF and full MNA scores were obtained by using the standard form in the Thai version of the MNA. We collected anthropometric measurements, gait speed, handgrip strength, and MNA data.ResultsThere was a significant positive correlation between body weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, mid-upper arm circumference, calf circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, handgrip strength and full MNA total score using the partial correlation coefficient after controlling for age and sex. The MNA-SF had sensitivity of 78.79%, specificity of 81.82%, PPV of 50%, NPV of 94.35%, LR+ of 4.33, LR- of 0.26, accuracy of 81.25% and AUC 0.901 when using the full MNA as a reference standard.ConclusionThe MNA correlated with many anthropometric measurements. The MNA-SF had a high specificity, NPV and accuracy of more than 80% when compared with the full MNA.

Risk of violence and quality of life among the elderly in the community: cross-sectional study

Objective: to analyze the relationship between the risk of violence and the quality of life of elderly community members. Methods: a cross-sectional study, developed with 159 elderly people registered in family health teams. The following instruments were used: Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test; World Health Organization Instrument to Evaluate Quality of Life. Results: the risk of violence was higher among the elderly with low quality of life through association tests (62.5%; p=0.380) and correlation (r=-0.244). There was a statistically significant difference (p=0.013) between quality of life of groups with and without risk for violence, and the analysis of logistic regression confirms that high quality of life is a protective factor for the exposure of the elderly to situations of abuse (Odds Ratio = 0.96; p=0.01). Conclusion: there was an inverse relationship between quality of life and risk of violence.

Violence among community elderly and its relationship with the nutritional status and sociodemographic characteristics.

To verify the prevalence of violence among elderly community members and its relationship with nutritional status and sociodemographic characteristics. Cross-sectional and analytical study developed with 159 community elderly registered at a Family Health Unit in Recife/Pernambuco between March 2016 and March 2017. The Brazil Old Age Schedule, Conflict Tactics Scales and Mini Nutritional Assessment were used as data collection instruments. Data received descriptive and inferential statistical treatment. Among the elderly classified as with violence, there was a predominance of psychological violence (64.3%), and the majority were at risk for malnutrition (54.3%). There was an association between 'having a partner' and psychological (48.1%; p=0.02) and physical (48.1%; p=0.03) violence. Logistic regression demonstrated that being in a relationship or being malnourished increases the likelihood of suffering psychological violence (OR=2.63; OR=3.67), just as not being working increases the likelihood of physical violence (OR=5.61). Violence was negatively related to the nutritional status of elderly community members.

Distribuição espacial de idosos segundo acesso aos serviços de saúde em Uberaba - MG

O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar a relação espacial do acesso com a distância dos serviços de saúde no município, considerando o número de morbidades e a renda. Trata-se de inquérito domiciliar transversal realizado com 680 idosos comunitários de Uberaba-MG. Foi construído um banco de dados eletrônico no programa Excel e utilizados: instrumento para caracterização sociodemográfica e morbidades; Miniexame do Estado Mental (MEEM); e acesso aos serviços de saúde. Procederam-se às análises descritivas por meio do programa Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), versão 21.0. A análise espacial foi feita no software ArcGIS 10.6. A busca pelo posto de saúde ocorre preferencialmente por homens (23,4%); idade de 60├70 anos (27,1%); e separados (38,4%); e a busca por consultório particular é predominante em mulheres (29,4%); idosos mais velhos (32,2%); e sem companheiro (36,2%). Não houve correlação espacial entre a distância e o número de morbidades e a renda de idosos. Conclui-se que há necessidade de repensar o acesso dessa população aos serviços de saúde públicos, considerando as áreas menos favorecidas dada a distância dos pontos de atenção à saúde e residência dos idosos.

Associação entre aspectos físicos-funcionais, comportamentais e de saúde com o medo de cair em idosos comunitários

O medo em cair é definido como uma preocupação exacerbada em cair na realização das atividades cotidianas. O conhecimento dos fatores associados ao medo de cair pode contribuir na elaboração de estratégias multidimensionais que visem reduzir futuras quedas nos idosos. Objetivo: Verificar a associação dos aspectos físicos-funcionais, comportamentais e de saúde com o medo de cair em idosos comunitários. Método: Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, com amostra aleatória probabilística, incluindo 308 idosos comunitários de ambos os sexos. A variável desfecho foi o medo em cair e as variáveis preditoras foram os aspectos comportamentais avaliados pelo autorrelato (histórico de quedas e autopercepção em saúde) e aspecto em saúde (sintomas depressivos). Já os aspectos físicos-funcionais incluíram a sarcopenia provável e a mobilidade. Resultados: Maiores chances de apresentar medo em cair foram observados em idosos que tiveram histórico de quedas (OR: 1,87; IC95%: 1,10; 3,19), autopercepção negativa de saúde (OR: 3,35; IC95%: 1,87; 6,00), sintomas depressivos (OR: 3,24; IC95%: 1,88; 5,57), sarcopenia (OR: 4,22; IC95%: 2,51; 7,09) e baixa mobilidade (OR: 4,19; IC95%: 2,19; 7,99) quando comparados aos que não tinham as mesmas condições. Conclusão: Histórico de quedas, autopercepção ruim de saúde, sintomas depressivos, sarcopenia e baixa mobilidade foram associados ao medo de cair em idosos comunitários.

Exploring syndemic vulnerability across generations: A case study of a former fishing village in the Netherlands

This qualitative case study uses a life-course approach to explore syndemic vulnerability in a former fishing village in the Netherlands. Building on four years of fieldwork in a low-income neighborhood, we explored salient themes between and across families and generations. Elderly community members (>65 years) were interviewed to map village history and explore how contextual factors have affected family life, health, and wellbeing since the 1940s. We systematically traced and compared processes leading to or from syndemic vulnerability by studying seven families across three generations. Adults with at least one of clustering diseases, their parents (when possible), and their children participated in semi-structured life-course interviews.A complex interaction of endemic social conditions, sociocultural normative processes, learned health behaviors, and disheartening life events shaped families’ predispositions for a syndemic of psychological distress, cardiometabolic conditions, and musculoskeletal pain. Educational attainment, continued social support, and aspirational capabilities emerged as themes related to decreasing syndemic vulnerability.This study demonstrates that syndemic vulnerability is potentially intergenerational and reveals the need for culturally sensitive and family-focused syndemic interventions. Future longitudinal research should focus on unravelling the pathogenesis of the clustering of psychological distress, cardiometabolic conditions, and musculoskeletal pain among young people.

Effectiveness of a machine-assisted healthy physical fitness promotion program for community elderly.

Maintaining physical fitness is important for health of the elderly. How to implement an effective and efficient model is a practical issue. A healthy physical fitness promotion program with machine-assisted exercises was designed for elderly and executed in a community in 2015 and 2016. The program was implemented for 10 to 12 weeks with two (group 1) or three (group 2) sessions per week, and functional fitness tests were conducted before, at the end, and 3 months after the training. This study is to investigate the effectiveness of machine-assisted physical fitness promotion program for the community elderly. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the participants' data, including sex, age, height, weight, waist-hip ratio, grip strength, back stretch, chair sit-and-reach, 30-second chair stand, 30-second arm curl, 2-minute step, single-leg standing, 8-ft up-and-go, and body composition. The differences in test results before, at the end, and 3 months after the training and the percentage change at different time intervals between the two groups were compared. After training, body mass index in group 2 and the test completion time for 8-ft up-and-go in group 1 decline significantly; furthermore, significant increase was noted in the height and number of times of 2-minute step in both groups, and grip strength, number of times of their 30-second arm curl, and 30-second chair stand in group 2. The training effect sustained 3 months after the training in height and number of times of 2-minute step in both groups, and grip strength, number of times of their 30-second arm curl, and 30-second chair stand in group 2. This study discovered that 10 to 12 weeks of machine-assisted exercise training can improve the elderly community members' body composition, muscle strength, muscle endurance, agility, dynamic balance, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Moreover, with three sessions per week, its effects were even maintained for 3 months after the training.

Abstract TMP55: Understanding Cultural and Knowledge Barriers to Acute Stroke Care in the Filipino American Community

Introduction: Filipino Americans (FilAms) in Los Angeles make up the largest Filipino community outside of the Philippines and 2nd largest Asian subgroup in L.A. County. FilAms also have higher rates of stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes not only compared to other Asian subgroups but also to African American and Latino communities. Little is known about FilAm knowledge and cultural barriers in accessing acute stroke care. Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, we studied knowledge, attitudes, and health behaviors of the L.A. FilAm community with regard to acute stroke care by conducting 5 focus groups of 5-7 people each and 6 semi-structured interviews with key community leaders. Participants were recruited through L.A. FilAm community organizations. Focus groups were organized as follows: 1st: elderly community members at high stroke risk; 2 nd : spouses of those at high stroke risk; 3 rd : paid caregivers of those with stroke risk; 4 th : unpaid caregivers of those with stroke risk; 5 th : young FilAms with family members with stroke risk. Six individual interviews were with elderly FilAms identified as exceptionally healthy by community leaders. We conducted thematic analysis, coding for themes on barriers to acute stroke care. Results: Two key themes have emerged: 1) spiritualistic fatalism and the belief that God is in control of all outcomes despite an individual’s will and 2) fear of calling 911, specifically linked to shame in being perceived as unhealthy by neighbors, fear of deportation among undocumented FilAms, and fear of high ambulance cost. Elderly participants perceived social media as one of the most effective ways to widely engage FilAms on stroke. Conclusion: Beliefs related to spiritualistic fatalism as well as fear of calling 911 are powerful barriers to acute stroke care among FilAms. The results can inform a culturally-relevant intervention for the community using social media, the Internet, and Filipino television programs to encourage FilAms to obtain acute stroke care. Data collected is currently being integrated into a FilAm stroke media tool. Lessons learned from this project will also be used to create stroke education for other U.S. Asian Pacific Islander communities.

Active ageing among elderly community members: structural equation modeling analysis.

to propose a structural model of active ageing among elderly community members based on the World Health Organization's theoretical framework and to identify the most relevant determinants of active ageing to the proposed model. a cross-sectional and analytical study conducted with 957 elderly community members. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed. the final measurement model was composed of the six determinants of active ageing: behavioral (R²=0.66); personal (R²=0.74); physical environment (R²=0.70); social (R²=0.77); economic (R²=0.44); and social and health services (R²=0.95). The last one showed good quality of adjustment: χ2/gl=3.50; GFI=0.94; CFI=0.92; TLI=0.90; RMSEA=0.05. By analyzing the trajectories between determinants and active ageing, the most representative was social and health services  active ageing (λ=0.97; p<0.001). satisfaction with access to health services and positive self-assessment of health status were the factors that most contributed to active ageing in this population.

Health seeking behaviour for Buruli Ulcer disease in the Obom sub-district of the Ga south Municipality of Ghana

The current biomedical Buruli ulcer case management strategies emphasise the importance of early reporting and appropriate medical treatment of nodules before they ulcerate and give rise to deformities and disabilities. However, there are a wide range of factors that influence health seeking behaviour for Buruli ulcer case management. The purpose of the study was to determine health seeking behaviour for Buruli ulcer by affected persons and their families. This was a descriptive study involving both qualitative and quantitative data collection. Thirty (30) in-depth interviews were conducted for Buruli ulcer patients and their corresponding caregivers on barriers and facilitators to health seeking. Three (3) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were also conducted among elderly community members. Survey questionnaire interviews were conducted with 300 community respondents in Ga, Akan and Ewe languages in the study area. Systematic sampling was used to select 300 respondents for the survey. The study revealed that most respondents (41.0%) would resort to self-medication as their first treatment option when infected with Buruli ulcer. However, the health seeking of self-medication before seeking biomedical treatment was alarming since it leads to delays in reporting. This is a serious public health concern since delay in reporting could lead to category three lesions.

Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas by Karine Gagné

Reviewed by: Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas by Karine Gagné Kelly D. Alley Karine Gagné, Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2019. 258 pp. Karine Gagné, Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2019. 258 pp. Karine Gagné's book, Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas, is a unique integrative account of generational and climate resiliency in the Himalayas that integrates local perspectives and memories of regional geopolitical history and environment, with reflections on loss. Gagné's study explores contemporary life in what science organizations, including NASA, refer to as "High Mountain Asia." This is a region of much interest to glaciologists and climate scientists as it is home to the world's largest reservoir of glaciers and snow outside the earth's polar ice sheets. Yet this is a story unlike the others focusing on the High Mountain Himalayas, where receding glaciers often overshadow the lives and values of people living there. Gagné's ethnography invites the reader into the lives of Tibetan Buddhists of Ladakh and especially into the perspectives of elderly residents. The book offers a rare window into their struggles and feelings. The political territory in which Tibetan Buddhists live is a sensitive border region between India, Pakistan, and China. Their homeland lies between the predominantly Muslim regions of the Kashmir Valley and Kargil on the one side and the disputed "Line of Actual Control," bordering the Aksai Chin glacial area of China on the other. The book's portrayal of Ladakhis, and specifically the Shamma or inhabitants of lower Ladakh, unfolds through a series of intimate accounts of the challenges elderly farmers and herders face, through their memories, stories, and adaptations to resource changes over the last 70 years. Like Kim Gutschow's (2004) book on the [End Page 227] Buddhist nuns of Ladakh, Gagné offers us a way to meet a neglected community through sustained participation in their way of life. Gagné collected the views and stories of Ladakhis while living in the region intermittently over several years. She takes us through their memories of military interventions of the past half-century and their responses to the recent out-migrations of Ladakhi youth. She describes the mounting challenges with animal herding and caretaking and agricultural sustenance as the elderly community members survive the harsh winters alone. In these stories, the elderly Shamma define ethics through reciprocity and think of reciprocal relations among family members as well as with animals and the non-human environment. Gagné refers to their approach as an ethics of care. Care frames their relations with the land, which is like a mother looking after her children. It frames their relations with their animals that provide farming assistance and knowledge of the landscape, and with glaciers that produce the water that sustains all. In the opening of the book, Gagné introduces her research assistant, Nyamgal, with a heap of respect. She tells the reader about the crucial role he played as a youth member of the community in opening up the communication pathways with elderly Ladakhis. She makes it clear that research is co-produced with others, and especially with research assistants. Nyamgal was able to elicit their emotional responses with his humanism and vulnerability. Gagné also brings in her own struggles adapting with Nyamgal to the high altitudes and frigid winters, huddled around the bokhari (wood stove) with limited food supplies. In the concluding chapter, she takes the reader on her own trek to see Father Glacier, where the high altitude makes breathing a life or death struggle. Gagné tacks between stories of the trauma of war, the harsh winters, and the stresses on elderly family members abandoned by migrating youth. In the midst of their struggles, we get an acute sense of their feelings of loneliness and loss. Elderly family members, alone in the long, harsh winters, are barely able to manage the agricultural work as they struggle to care for the animals they love so much. Desires to escape the pressures of autocratic regimes, the growing debt to outsiders, and confrontations with...

Association of the functional capacity and violence in the elderly community.

To analyze the relationship between the functional capacity of elderly community members and the sociodemographic and violence characteristics. Cross-sectional, epidemiological, analytical study with 159 elderly people. For data collection, a questionnaire was used for sociodemographic characterization; the Katz, Lawton and Brody scale; a questionnaire adapted from the FIBRA network; and the Conflict Tactics Scales, analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and multiple logistic regression models. It was observed that the sociodemographic variables influence the prevalence of functional dependence for basic activities of daily living and reduction in advanced activities in elderly people with psychological and physical violence. The dependence of the elderly for basic and intermediate activities is related to characteristics such as advanced age, work exercise and knowing how to read and write. The participants' functional dependence can favor violent outcomes, whether physical or psychological.

Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Sete Cidades, Azores Archipelago: First Ethnomedicinal Report.

Knowledge about folk medicines is limited to elder community members of remote communities, like Sete Cidades in the Azores. The Azores, 1300 km west of Portugal, are nine volcanic islands, totalling 2330 km2 of land dispersed by 173,200 km2 in the North Atlantic Ocean. The present study aims to scientifically document the uses of plant species for medicinal purposes, in the Sete Cidades. Twenty-eight community members from 40 to 84 years of age, of whom half were 55 to 64 years old, were interviewed. Twenty-nine taxa were reported as being used for medicinal purposes, ten of which have not been previously reported for ethnomedicinal use in Portugal, with a first record of the use of Morella faya. Leaves were the most used plant part (55%), and decoction the most common preparation mode. The five reported taxa with both the highest use value (0.71–0.25) and relative frequency of citation (0.14–0.11) were Clinopodium menthifolium subsp. ascendens, Aloysia citriodora, Mentha x piperita, Citrus limon and Rosmarinus officinalis. The traditional uses of some of the reported plants are supported by scientific studies, confirming their ethnomedicinal value and the need to preserve local knowledge of folk medicine practices.

Regional trade of medicinal plants has facilitated the retention of traditional knowledge: case study in Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan

BackgroundThe ethnic groups in Gilgit-Baltistan have been utilizing local resources in their centuries-old traditional healing system. Most tribes within these ethnic groups still rely on traditional healing systems. We aim to understand the current status, uses, and abundance of medicinal plants, associated traditional knowledge, and trade.Materials and methodsThe study incorporated over 300 local community members (70% men and 30% women) in focused group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and homework assignments for 8th to 12th grade students to document traditional knowledge (TK) in six districts in Northeast Pakistan. We calculated various indices such as informant consensus factor, use value, relative frequency of citation, and CoKriging. These indices, along with repetitively used medicinal plants, were used to analyze differences in studied locations.ResultsMost of the community members still rely on traditional medication in the study areas. However, we found the highest number of medicinal plants used in Skardu and Gilgit compared to other districts and these two districts also represent trade centers and a highly populated area regarding medicinal plants. Results indicate connection amongst the surveyed villages signifying mixing of knowledge from different sources, with certain areas more influenced by traditional Chinese medicine and others more by Ayurveda and Unani.ConclusionTK is mostly retained with elder community members; however, those directly linked with market value chain retain rich knowledge on traditional use of the medicinal plants from the region. Major trade centers in the region also coincide with a high density of medicinal plant occurrence, knowledge, and higher utilization. Therefore, with the increasing trade in medicinal plant in the region, there is potential for rejuvenation of this knowledge and of plant use in the region.