Insights From a Developing Country: Self-Reported Health Status of Elderly Men (60 Years and Over) in Jamaica

Abstract

Older men’s health status is of increasing concern given the rates of prostate cancer, genitourinary disorders and risk factors such as smoking in earlier life. There is limited research on the health status of Caribbean men, particularly Jamaicans. This paper documents self-reported health status of older men from a recent pioneer work in Jamaica. Older men (1530) were surveyed in a cross-sectional study. Cluster sampling with probability proportional to population size was utilized. Seventy- four percent reported health status as “good/excellent.” There was no statistical association between self-reported health of older men and area of residence or marital status. However, there was a positive correlation between health status and tertiary level education (p < 0.05). Domicile ownership, working status, age, visits to doctor/health centre within the last year and reporting current disease were independent predictors of health status. Cancer was the most frequently reported chronic disease (16.6%), followed by kidney/bladder conditions (12.7%), hypertension (9.2%) and prostate conditions (7.3%). Greater attention to cancer, kidney/bladder issues and prostate conditions is warranted. Programs focused on healthy lifestyles, including behaviour change, and routine screening for chronic diseases are recommended.