A Structural Equation Model of Elderly Health Care in the Surveyed Households in Kumbakonam Town, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Introduction: Aged persons are having health problems like hearing and vision decline, muscle strength diminishes, less flexibility of skin and blood vessels, and an overall decline of physique. Their body's organ performs insufficiently with advancing age. Intelligence were also diminishes with age. The social isolation that often exists among older people can dramatically influence mental attitudes and behaviour. The Indian aged population is currently the second largest in the world. The absolute number of the over 60 population in India will increase from 76 million in 2001 to 137 million by 2021. The functional ability of elderly people is crucial to how well they cope with activities of daily living, which in turn affects their quality of life. Therefore, the purpose of this study to examine the causal relationships among factors determining elderly health. Objectives: 1) to study the socio-economic profile of the aged people, 2) to identify the health status of elderly person, 3) to examine the causal relationships among factors determining elderly health, and 4) to evaluate whether all the measures fit the recommended value, indicating a good fit of the structural model for the collected data. Methodology: A systematic random sample of 900 elderly people aged above 58 were interviewed from 45 wards, in each ward 20 persons were selected with health problems. The data on different factors were collected through questionnaire survey using 5 point Likert scale method. The causal relationships were established by structural equation modelling (SEM) method using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. Conclusion: The SEM fitted to the elderly health care data adequately. The results indicated that, the mental health, caring, family environment, life style, health expenditure had significant effect on physiological status (p<0.05). These factors had significant relationship on elderly health.