The Diagnosis Distribution in Health Examination of Old Aged People and Associated Sociodemographic Factors

Kim, In Ho; Lim, Kang Eun; Lim, Tai Woo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: According as old aged people have an increased interest in early detection of disease and health promotion, old aged people who take health examinations are increased. So this study is aimed to survey common problems about geriatric health in community and their frequency by way of investigation on diagnosis in health examination data and to evaluate the effects of health risk factors on each disease patterns.
METHODS
The medical records of the clients who have taken health examinations for the first time from March 1995 to February 2000 at a health examination center of a university hospital in Seoul were reviewed. The category and number of judged diagnosis, sociodemographic factors are compared and analyzed.
RESULTS
The selected medical records accounted to 22,393. The study subjects consist of 11,544(51.6%) male. Mean age is 52.0+/-10.5 years(range 16~90). 65 years or more old aged people of them are 2,612(11.7%), the number of judged diagnosis per one old person is 4.84+/-2.22(range 0~9) and young people took less diagnosis is 35.7%, functional diagnosis is 7.9%. The common diagnoses are liver disease(7.07%), decreased physical strength(6.68%), hyperlipidemin(6.53%),obesity(5.90%), osteoporosis or postmenopausal syndrome(4.72%), need for immunization against viral hepatitis(4.69%), hypertension(4.20%) functional gastrointestinal disease(3.93%). The number of total diagnosis and organic diagnosis is larger in older age, no exercise, female,smoker, no-spouse, lower education(p<0.05). The number of other diagnosis is larger in no exercise, smoker, female, younger age(p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
According to health examination, total diagnosis and organic diagnosis are more in old aged group than in young. Functioinal diagnosis and other diagnosis is less in old aged group than in young.