Social and family situation, functional assessment, and prevalent diseases in elderly subjects attending primary health care centers, Callao 2006

Abstract

Objectives. To determine social and familiy situation performing a functional assesment and looking for prevalent diseases in elderly subjects attending primary care health centres in Callao, Peru. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study performed in 301 elderly subjects who were administered a questionnaire based on the form for the clinical assessment of aged persons established by the Peruvian Ministry of Health. Results. Most of the subjects were women, 44.5% were between 60 and 69 years old, and 31.9% were classified as frail elderly subjects. 79.4% of this elderly population is independent, 46.2% are at social risk, and 28.9% actually have social problems. Most subjects (66.1%) do not have any health insurance. Most prevalent diseases were hypertension (42.5%) and osteoarthritis (33.6%), and a past history of tuberculosis (TB) was found in 6.6%. Women had a worse social and family situation (p<0.05), and their functional and clinical assessments findings worsened with age (p<0.05). Conclusion. Most elderly subjects are at a social and family risk, so it is necessary to establish interventional strategies, such as social security programs aiming to contribute with the improvement of integrated health care in this population.