Abstract

CARDONA A, Doris; ESTRADA R, Alejandro  and  AGUDELO G, Héctor Byron. Health conditions of senior citizens in Medellín city, 1990-1999. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2006, vol.24, n.1, pp.61-69. ISSN 0120-386X.

Objective: to analyze health conditions of the senior population in the city of Medellín during the 90’s decade. Materials and methods: a descriptive study with both cross-sectional and longitudinal components. Evolution of mortality in the senior population during the 90’s was analyzed based on death register of the National Administrative Departament of Statistics (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, DANE); morbidity in 1990-1997 period was analyzed using hospital discharge registers provided by the Colombian Social Protection Ministry, as well as perceived morbidity. Cross-sectional aspects were assessed by phone interview in 637 adults. Results and conclusions: main causes of mortality come from chronic diseases: heart attack (9.4‰), chronic obstruction of breathing airways (4.5‰), lungs and bronchial malignant tumours (2.2‰), diabetes mellitus (1.7‰), and bron- Health conditions of senior citizens in Medellín city, 1990-1999 chopneumonia (1.5‰). Hospital discharge morbidity was due to the following conditions: prostate hyperplasia (110.4‰), chronic obstruction of the breathing airways (100.6‰), femur neck fracture (69.4‰), diabetes mellitus (57.8‰) and heart failure (53.6‰). Perceived morbidity was composed of pathologies compromising one or several systems simultaneously, with the most common being the cardiovascular system, presented in half (51%) of the studied population. In general non transmissible chronic diseases are the principal causes of mortality and morbidity in the senior adults of Medellin city, showing higher rates in men than in the women.

Keywords : Senior adults; health conditions; morbidity; mortality; Medellín; Colombia.