Change in Health-seeking Behaviour among Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Areas of Central Kerala: A Cross-sectional Study

Autor: Nimila Elsa Mathews, Ebin Thomas, Sumit Datta
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, Vol 18, Iss 01, Pp 05-09 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2249-782X
0973-709X
87147289
DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2024/68208.18897
Popis: Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on the elderly population, leading to both fatalities from the virus and delayed treatment of acute emergencies. Additionally, many elderly individuals have demonstrated poor health-seeking behaviour in managing chronic conditions. Reasons for this include fear, access barriers, and strain on healthcare resources and personnel. Aim: To evaluate the change in health-seeking behaviour among the elderly in rural areas of central Kerala during the pandemic and identify the associated factors. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural field-practice areas of the Department of Community Medicine at a tertiary care Medical College in Kerala, India from May 2021 to August 2021. A total of 252 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above were interviewed using a structured pretested questionnaire. Socio-demographic details and responses on health-seeking behaviour during the pandemic were documented. Data were summarised using frequencies and percentages for categorical variables or mean and standard deviation for continuous variables. Associations were tested using the Chi-square test. Results: The study revealed that 83.73% (211 out of 252) of the elderly participants had Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with hypertension in 130 (51.59%) and diabetes in 90 (35.71%) being the most prevalent. A significant change in the preference for healthcare facilities was noted (p
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