Psychosocial Health Status, Disability and Networks of Social Support among Older Kuwaiti Men and Women

تقدم هذه الدراسة معرفة شاملة بالحالة النفسية والاجتماعية والصحية والظروف المعيشية وشبكة الدعم الاجتماعي لكبار السن في دولة الكويت والتي يمكن أن تساعد مخططي البرامج الصحية لتحديد الاحتياجات الصحية لكبار السن بطريقة أكثر موضوعية، لذا تهدف الدراسة إلى:
1. التقييم الشخصي للحالة الصحية والعجز الذي يشمل الحالة الذهنية والنفسية والأمراض الحادة والمزمنة.
2. تقييم الأداء البدني لتقييم صحة التقييم الشخصي.
3. جمع المعلومات عن الظروف المعيشة ومصادر الدعم الاجتماعي والمادي.
4. تقييم الرعاية الصحية الشخصية لكبار السن وتشمل الصحة الوقائية، الدخول الحديث لإحدى المستشفيات، الزيارات الحديثة للأطباء والاستخدام الحديث للأدوية.
سيتم جمع المعلومات عن طريق إجراء مقابلات منـزلية سيتم اختيارها عشوائياً مع كبار السن من الرجال والنساء الكويتيين الذين تبلغ أعمارهم 50 عاماً أو أكثر من محافظة العاصمة (مدنية) ومحافظة الأحمدي (قروية)

With rising life expectancy and decline in infertility, population in developed as well as developing countries is increasing. In Kuwait, life expectancy is 77 for females and 75 for males. The percentage of older persons in the population is rising steadily. No large scale surveys have been conducted on the psychosocial health, disability or social support structures of this age group. The specific objectives of the study are to:
1. assess self-reported health status and disability, including cognitive status, psychological well being, acute and chronic illness and functional health;
2. collect data on selected objective measures of physical performance to assess the validity of self-reports on functional health of older persons;
3. assess health-seeking behavior of older adults, including preventing care, recent hospitalizations, recent visit to providers, and recent use of medications; and
4. collect information on living arrangements, social and economic support available to older persons from their families and from extra-familial sources.
Data will be collected by means of a household survey administrated to older men and women aged 50 and over, residing in Kuwaiti households. Of the six major administrative areas (governorates), two will be selected, namely, Capital and Ahmadi. The former represents relatively more urban characteristics while the latter represents more rural characteristics. Within each governorate, a multi-stage cluster sample will be selected. Each governorate comprises of smaller units (qitaas) that will be selected according to a proportionate random sampling scheme. Once a qitaa is selected, all households within that qitaa will be visited to locate individuals who fulfill the study criteria (Kuwaiti ? 50 years old). Respondents will be included to complete a pre-assigned sample size of 400 for each of the following age groups: 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and above. Thus, a total of 2,400 respondents will be included. Give