title: Implementation of an active aging model in Mexico for prevention and control of chronic diseases in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  World Health Organization cites among the main challenges of populational aging the dual disease burden: the greater risk of disability, and the need for care. In this sense, the most frequent chronic diseases during old age worldwide are high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, and dementia. Chronic disease-associated dependency represents an onerous sanitary and financial burden for the older adult, the family, and the health care system. Thus, it is necessary to propose community-level models for chronic disease prevention and control in old age. The aim of the present work is to show our experience in the development and implementation of a model for chronic disease prevention and control in old age at the community level under the active aging paradigm.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal study will be carried out in a sample of 400 elderly urban and rural-dwelling individuals residing in Hidalgo State, Mexico during five years. All participants will be enrolled in the model active aging. This establishes the formation of 40 gerontological promoters (GPs) from among the older adults themselves. The GPs function as mutual-help group coordinators (gerontological nuclei) and establish self-care and self-promotion actions for elderly well-being and social development. It will be conformed a big-net of social network of 40 mutual-help groups of ten elderly adults each one, in which self-care is a daily practice for chronic disease prevention and control, as well as for achieving maximal well-being and life quality in old age. Indicators of the model's impact will be (i) therapeutic adherence; (ii) the incidence of the main chronic diseases in old age; (iii) life expectancy without chronic diseases at 60 years of age; (iv) disability adjusted life years lost; (v) years of life lost due to premature mortality, and (vi) years lived with disability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that the implementation of the model active aging framework will permits the empowerment of older adults, which constitutes basic social capital for chronic disease prevention and control in old age.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación en Gerontología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México. mendovic@servidor.unam.mx
authors.forename: Víctor Manuel
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Mendoza-Núñez
authors.forename: María de la Luz
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Martínez-Maldonado
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Correa-Muñoz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D017145:Models, Educational; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D012944:Social Support
references.citation: Perspectives. 1997 Fall;21(3):7-10
references.pmid: 9355600
references.citation: Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2005 May-Jun;17(5-6):353-61
references.pmid: 16053645
references.citation: Salud Publica Mex. 1996 Nov-Dec;38(6):419-29
references.pmid: 9054011
references.citation: Salud Publica Mex. 2007;49 Suppl 4:S459-66
references.pmid: 17724518
references.citation: Salud Publica Mex. 2007 Mar-Apr;49(2):132-43
references.pmid: 17522740
references.citation: Am J Health Promot. 2003 Nov-Dec;18(2):200-4
references.pmid: 14621420
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2007 Oct 03;7:276
references.pmid: 17910775
references.citation: J Nurs Scholarsh. 2002;34(4):355-61
references.pmid: 12501739
references.citation: Am J Community Psychol. 2000 Aug;28(4):455-80
references.pmid: 10965386