Assessing the health status of elderly people in the province of Qom (2007)

Background: Recognition of elderly health status is the first step toward the prevention of chronic diseases and promotion of health level among aged people. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the elderly heath status in Qom province (Iran). The practical goal of the present work was to assess the health needs in elderly and prevention of common disease among the aged society. Methods: This was a descriptive analytical study in which 151 individuals aged 60 or more and living in the province of Qom were included. The sampling method used was the random simple method. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire. The data were further analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings: Based on findings, 57.6% of older adults were at the risk of nutrition deficiency, 35.8% with normal nutrition and 6.6% with malnutrition. The GHQ scale revealed that 48.3% of elderly were with depression, 86.7% with anxiety, 8.6% with social dysfunctions, and 86.7% with physical signs. The risk of bed sore was 4.6%. The activities of daily living were found to be without any dependence in 97.2% of population and 9% with relative dependence and 1% with complete dependence. Conclusion: The high frequency of problems among the elderly of Qom province is indicating that the aged group of this community is in need of a rehabilitation and treatment program. The education priorities to be recommended for this age group include prevention of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disease, bed sore, healthy nutrition and life style that can be presented through workshops, bulletins and educational pamphlets.