Health, lifestyles and services for the elderly /
Health, lifestyles and services for the elderly /
edited by W. E. Waters, E. Heikkinen, A. S. Dontas.
- Copenhagen : WHO Regional Office for Europe, 1989.
- 222 p.
- Public health in Europe ; 29 .
A detailed comparative analysis of data generated by an international study designed to assess the health, functional ability, and quality of life of the elderly and to evaluate their use of health and social services. Data from the study, which was carried out in 15 centres in 10 European countries and in Kuwait, are submitted to sophisticated statistical and epidemiological analysis in order to yield conclusions useful in the improvement of services and in the design of further research on the aging process. The book has five main chapters. The first explains the design of the study, including methods used to produce standardized and comparable data from representative samples of the elderly. The second chapter, devoted to health and functional ability, assesses data on the ability to perform selected activities of daily living and on the prevalence of reported chronic diseases, accidents, and injuries. The main diseases and conditions affecting daily function were identified as disorders of the musculoskeletal system, ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, and diseases of the digestive system. A chapter devoted to lifestyles and life satisfaction considers interrelations between social activity and life satisfaction and the impact that health status and functional ability can have on social participation and satisfaction with life. Findings lend support to the assumption that socially active people are more satisfied with their lives than those whose personal contacts are more limited. Other chapters point out differences in the utilization of services, identify factors that may explain these differences, and consider the determinants of physical dependence. Risks factors for physical dependence are identified as poor housing conditions, low education, low social activity, and low physical activity. To facilitate interpretation of the study and its findings, the book devotes more than 100 pages to details on study design and methodology, including reproduction of the standardized codebook, a description of the indices used in the study, an explanation of correlation coefficients of the sixteen selected variables, and a reproduction of the questionnaire used to evaluate local services for the elderly. Operational definitions used in the questionnaire are also annexed to the report.
eng.
WHODOC
9289011653
Health services for the aged.
Life style.
Quality of life.
Health surveys.
Europe.
WT 30
A detailed comparative analysis of data generated by an international study designed to assess the health, functional ability, and quality of life of the elderly and to evaluate their use of health and social services. Data from the study, which was carried out in 15 centres in 10 European countries and in Kuwait, are submitted to sophisticated statistical and epidemiological analysis in order to yield conclusions useful in the improvement of services and in the design of further research on the aging process. The book has five main chapters. The first explains the design of the study, including methods used to produce standardized and comparable data from representative samples of the elderly. The second chapter, devoted to health and functional ability, assesses data on the ability to perform selected activities of daily living and on the prevalence of reported chronic diseases, accidents, and injuries. The main diseases and conditions affecting daily function were identified as disorders of the musculoskeletal system, ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, and diseases of the digestive system. A chapter devoted to lifestyles and life satisfaction considers interrelations between social activity and life satisfaction and the impact that health status and functional ability can have on social participation and satisfaction with life. Findings lend support to the assumption that socially active people are more satisfied with their lives than those whose personal contacts are more limited. Other chapters point out differences in the utilization of services, identify factors that may explain these differences, and consider the determinants of physical dependence. Risks factors for physical dependence are identified as poor housing conditions, low education, low social activity, and low physical activity. To facilitate interpretation of the study and its findings, the book devotes more than 100 pages to details on study design and methodology, including reproduction of the standardized codebook, a description of the indices used in the study, an explanation of correlation coefficients of the sixteen selected variables, and a reproduction of the questionnaire used to evaluate local services for the elderly. Operational definitions used in the questionnaire are also annexed to the report.
eng.
WHODOC
9289011653
Health services for the aged.
Life style.
Quality of life.
Health surveys.
Europe.
WT 30