Factors Associated with the Morbidity Pattern among the Geriatric Population of Jammu District, Jammu and Kashmir: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The geriatric population is increasing in India as well as in the world. Multimorbidity prevailing among the geriatric population is an important health challenge for most of the developing countries. Aim and Objectives: To assess the prevalence of morbidities prevailing among the geriatric population of Jammu district, J&K and to determine association of these morbidities with several socio-demographic variables. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the geriatric population of Jammu district, J&K by using simple random and systematic sampling. Logistic regression model software IBM SPSS version 24.0 was used to study the effect of various socio-demographic variables on the prevalence of multimorbidity. Results: A total of 750 geriatric persons were included in our study in which the majority were suffering from vision problems (51.5%), followed by arthritis (40.7%), hypertension (39.3%), and so on. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) and Crude Odds Ratio (COR) were calculated. It was found that increasing age, high socio-economic status, etc were main predictors of prevalence of multimorbidity. Conclusion: The present study highlighted major health problems faced by the geriatric population. So, there is an urgent need to improve geriatric health services to improve their quality of life.

Keywords

• ageing
• geriatric population
• morbidity
• multimorbidity
• prevalence