Health Status of the Elderly in Hingnara Gram Panchayat, Chakdaha C.D. Block, Nadia, West Bengal

Abstract

Aging is a contemporary universal issue as elderly are suffering from economic insecurity, health problem, insufficient shelter, mental disorder, loneliness and different sorts of inhuman treatments etc.

This empirical research work has been done in Hingnara Gram Panchayat of Chakdaha C.D. Block in Nadia district, West Bengal through the method of purposive sampling of 315 respondents. 58.73% aged people who do not have any source of income. 61% of elderly are suffering from bad and very bad health condition. It is indicated that health condition of the aged is not satisfactory. 32.69% aged people have been suffering with two to four types of diseases at a time mainly from arthritis, heart problem, blood pressure, gastrointestinal, respiratory disorders, diabetes  cough and cold.  51.80% of patients have consulted with quack doctors due to their low level of income. Health condition of the remaining elderly population are as normal (24.5%), good (9.5%) and very good (5.7%). On the other hand, 30.2% of the elderly people are under underweight condition (BMI<18.5), 42.5% belong to healthy (BMI 18.5-24.9) and 24.4% in 25-29.9 BMI and 2.9% in >30 BMI (obese).Finally, this research study has been focused to find out the realistic measures for the miseries.