Health seeking behaviour of elderly population residing in urban area of district Kathua (J&K): A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Many health problems are known to increase with age and this demographic trend may lead to an increase in the absolute number of health conditions in the population. The health-seeking behavior of elderly individuals can help in ascertaining their needs and priorities to develop appropriate policies for their care and avert disease progression. Methodology: A cross- sectional descriptive study was conducted among adults aged above 60 years. A total of 368 individuals were interviewed over a period of 4 months that is from November 2020- February 2021.Data was collected using pre designed and semi structured questionnaire consisting of questions on socio-demographic details, history of any illness and health seeking behaviour in elderly population. Data was entered in the MS-Excel and analysis was done using number and percentages. Results: A total of 368 elderly persons were interviewed. About 39.6% were from age group 60-69. Majority of the elderly population 262 (71.19%) were healthy while 106 (28.8.8%) were suffering from one or other chronic illness. . Among 123 elderly having some chronic morbidity, 104 (84.5%) sought health advice and treatment during illness. About 65.4% preferred allopathic medicine for their illness, 26.0% used both allopathic and AYUSH medication for their problems, while 6.7% used medications bought from AYUSH doctors only. Conclusion: Lack of money , family support and not feeling necessary to go to doctor were identified as the two most common reasons for not seeking treatment for their morbidity. Awareness raising activities, education for health behaviour change & pro-people healthcare delivery interventions are recommended.