2Erciyes Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı KAYSERİ Background: The purpose of this study was to determine medico-social problems and affecting factors of life satisfaction in elderly living in Kayseri province.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study 1472 elderly persons aged 65 and over were interwieved by face to face between the dates of September 2003- February 2004. Researchers measured height and weight of elderly. Logistic regression analysis was uses to determine the factors that significantly affect life satisfaction in this population.
Results: Of the research group 39.8 % were males, 60.2 % were females. The mean age was 70.4 ± 5.8 years. Of the elderly 61.6 % were illiterate, 10.7 % were living alone, 11.8 % were current smokers, 20.8 % were thin and 38.8 % were fat. Most of the people in the research group stated that they needed help in physical functional abilities such as for going to doctor, travelling alone, phoning somebody else and shopping. Elder people declared that 38.3 % of them had difficulties in hearing, 55.2 % in walking, 34 % chewing. Of the elderly 64.8 % of them were wearing glasses, 4.1 % were using hearing aid and 19.4 % were using walking stick. 79.4 % of the participants had one or more chronic disease. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases were the common diseases in elderly. 71.7 % of them reported that they were using drugs continuously, 46.9 % of them declared their health status as “good”, 80.4 % of them declared their life satisfaction as “good”. Life satisfaction was significantly high in married people, people living in houses with central heating, people who had high income, people who had no difficulty in chewing and people who perceived their health as “well”.
Conclusion: Findings from this study elder people were difficulties in daily activities and need another person help. Prevalence of chronic diseases and using drugs continuously were high. In elder people who declared their socio-economical status and health status were as “good” was more life satisfaction. This study has identified factors that impacted on perceived life satisfaction of the elderly. By granting the residents more social support in daily living life satisfaction can be increased.
Keywords : Elderly, Medico-social problems, Life satisfaction