Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı, Doktora Öğrencisi
Dokuz Eylül Ãœniversitesi Halk SaÄŸlığı Anabilim Dalı, Prof.Dr. A cross-sectional analytic study was performed to determine the socio economic characteristics, disabilities and the diagnosed chronic diseases of elderly aged 65 and over at Çamdibi-1 Health Center’s region in Ä°zmir. 242 out of total 1212 old aged population were taken as the sample of the study, but 227 (%93.8) could be reached and be interviewed. 120 out of the 227 old aged subject were women (%52.9) and 107 were men; mean age was 70.8 ± 5.82 (women: 70.7 ± 5.73, men: 70.9 ± 5.95). Of these participants, %52.4 were within 65-69 years of age group (young older) and %55.9 were illiterate, %28.6 had no income, %55.0 had an income less than 150 million T.L. per month and %36.6 had no social security. In the basic daily living activities of older subject, bathing was observed as the least performable activity (%82.8), whereas feeding was observed as the highest performable one (%94.7). Also, within their instrumental living activities which can be done independent, housework (%66.6) was observed as the least performable activity. Independence within the basic living activities decrease by the increasing age. The prevalence of chronic disease was found %66.5 for total participants (men: %60.7, women: %71.7). The male older were found to have higher prevalence in cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive lung diseases while the female older had higher prevalence in hypertension and musculoskeletal diseases. In this health center district with low socio economic status, even though the proportion of elderly population is low, the problems emerging with the population aging was found to be importance due to lack of income and social insurance, high prevalence rate of chronic diseases and high dependency rate of daily living activities. Keywords : Aging, disability, chronic disease, low socio economic status, prevalence