Health characteristics of rural elderly Malay females in selected villages in

Health indices of 317 healthy elderly Malay females 55 years and older from two rural sub-districts in Negeri Sembilan were collected through personal interviews. About 33 % of the respondents perceived their health condition as good to excellent, 63.4 % rated their health status compared to a year earlier as about the same, 48.3 % had no worry about their health, and 49.2 % perceived themselves as physically active as their peers. Arthritis was the majot ailment which affected the daily activities of about 64 % of the respondents. The classical age-related problems of poor hearing, poor sight and difficulty in chewing were also prevalent among these elderly. Key words: health indices, elderly, Malay females