Morbidity profile of elderly outpatients attending selected sub-district Siddha health facilities in Tamil Nadu, India.
BACKGROUND
Recently, under National Health Mission alternate systems of Medicine are mainstreamed in public health care system. Effective action plan generation, logistic arrangement and roll out of these alternate systems of Medicine needs understanding on profile of morbidities among attendees who come to these facilities.


OBJECTIVE
This study was planned to report profile of morbidities, age and sex differentials in specific morbidities among geriatric attendees in secondary level siddha health facilities.


METHODS
A facility based cross sectional study was conducted among elderly person (60 years and above) attending Siddha outpatient department (OPD) from two of the randomly selected sub district level siddha facilities in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India. Information on socio-demographic variables like age, gender, education and clinical profile (diagnosis) were collected from records already maintained in the siddha OPD. Morbidities were summarized in terms of proportions based on age and gender. Age and sex specific differentials on specific morbidities were compared using 'z' test.


RESULTS
Of 2710 patients who visited these two siddha facilities during the reference period, 763 (28.1%) patients were elderly. Arthritis (45.2%), neuritis (8.8%), diabetes (6.6%), bronchial asthma (5.2%), hemiplegia (3.7%) were the top five morbidities diagnosed and treated among elderly attending the siddha OPD. There was a predilection towards elderly male for morbidities such as bronchial asthma and hemiplegia compared to elderly female. Similarly, higher proportions of lumbar spondylosis, hypertension and fungal skin diseases were reported among aged 80 years or more compared to elderly aged 60-79 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Elderly constitute more than one fourth of outpatients load from siddha health facilities. Degenerative diseases like arthritis and non-communicable diseases were the common morbidities in this age group. Geriatric clinics and mobile clinics under siddha system may help in improving health care services.
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kalaiselvi
K
Selvaraj
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India.
Manikandan
M
Srinivasan
General Duty Medical Officer, Government Hospital, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India.
Venkatachalam
V
Duraisamy
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India.
Gomathi
G
Ramaswamy
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India.
Vinayagamurthy
V
Venugopal
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, India.
Palanivel
P
Chinnakali
AYUSH; Aged; morbidity; outpatients; primary health care