AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY TO ASSESS MORBIDITY PROFILE AMONG GERIATRIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT DEHRADUN.

Introduction: The world is ageing, it is natural and inevitable. The risk of having at least one chronic disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancers increases with age, this is not so much a function of chronological age per se but a reflection of the life-long accumulation of risk factors. Further, obesity increases the risk of numerous non communicable diseases viz. cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension etc. So study was planned to find out the morbidity profile of geriatric population (>60years) in District Dehradun. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted in Doiwala Block (rural) & Dalanwala (Urban) area of District Dehradun of Uttarakhand Dehradun (Uttarakhand) to assess the health status of elderly population during April - June 2010. Study had attempted to include all the households and residents of the study areas who were above 60 years of age. Results: Working geriatric study group involved in livelihood were found to be less morbid as compared to retired or Homemaker (i.e. housewives). Among non-working group higher prevalence of non communicable disease viz CVS (16.4%), hypertension (38.6%), diabetes (17.7%), arthritis (21.2%), asthma (7.7%), cataract (17.5%) & BPH (12.2%) was observed as compared to working group. Morbidities were more common among obese viz. hypertension (39.1%), CVS diseases (26.1%), diabetes (10.0%) and high risk WHR (47.8%). Hypertension (I & II) is more common (36.1%) amongst geriatric person with BMI of more than 25 and above as compared to BMI less than 25 (25%). Conclusion: Present study observed higher prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity, arthritis & cataract among non working group as compared to working group. Present study also shows higher BMI also increases the high risk factors for non communicable disease