Self-reported chronic diseases and health status of Saudi elderly: results from a community health survey in riyadh

Introduction: Chronic diseases are among the commonest health problems that affect an individual’s quality of life and have become a major problem that faces many of the world population, especially in the developing countries. Researchers have found that the increase in age and suffering from chronic conditions are closely related. In Saudi Arabia, the rapid population growth, the growing aging segment, and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increase the needs for healthcare services. Aims: To assess the prevalence of NCDs among Saudi elderlies living in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Settings and Design: This Design for this study was a cross sectional study. Recruitment and data collection lasted from January to June, 2016 and the study population included 1182 people who were Saudi citizens, >60 years old and live in Riyadh City. Statistical analysis used: Descriptive variables were analyzed and reported as numbers and percentages using SPSS v.21. Results: Of the 1182 participants, 637 (53.9%) were female, 505 (42.7%) falling in a category from 60-66 years old, and 868 (73.4%) were classified as obese or overweight. Majority of the population were married (63.6%) and uneducated (36.3%). 1090 of the participants (92.2%) had one chronic disease or more. Diabetes was the most common self-reported chronic diseases (51.9%). Of the total population, 531 (44.9%) mentioned hypertension, 428 (36.2%) mentioned poor vision, and 400 (33.8%) mentioned dyslipidemia. Conclusion: The findings from this study showed that self-reported chronic conditions were common among Saudi elderly, especially, diabetes, hypertension, poor vision, and dyslipidemia. The results showed that obesity is a common problem among Saudi elderly.