For this discussion, the determinants of health among the elderly population will be discussed. Patwardhan et al. (2015) acknowledge the determinants of health as nutrition, lifestyle, environment, and genetics. Among the elderly, factors such as gender, education, geographical location, and occupational class significantly affect their wellbeing. Tyagi & Paltasingh (2017) note that education and socioeconomic status are directly related to better health outcomes in old age. For the write-up, the concentration will be on education and socioeconomic status as determinants of health among the elderly.
Looking at education, senior citizens with higher levels of education tend to make better lifestyle choices, thus reduce the probability of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular abnormalities. As for socioeconomic status, it dictates the health-seeking behavior of an individual. Usually, the better the socioeconomic status, the better the health outcomes. With this in mind, from the Sentinel County demographic survey, it is expected that the senior citizens with higher levels of education and socioeconomic power will be better health-wise compared to their counterparts with limited capabilities.
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Hypertension is a common phenomenon among the elderly as it has been associated with adverse changes in lifestyle. Yang et al. (2017) note that the prevalence of hypertension is more prominent among the elderly and is a vital risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. The authors further propose that prevention of this condition lies in a proper lifestyle, i.e., maintain healthy body weight, and take a balanced diet. For this issue, the community health nursing diagnosis would be hypertension among the elderly. To address this concern, secondary prevention seems like the best alternative for the issue at hand. This is because secondary prevention involves early detection to prevent disease progression. The target population is elderly; this means that they are already exposed to the risk factors, thereby limiting the use of primary prevention techniques.
References
Patwardhan, B., Mutalik, G., & Tillu, G. (2015). Integrative approaches for health: Biomedical research, Ayurveda and Yoga . Academic Press.
Tyagi, R., & Paltasingh, T. (2017). Determinants of health among senior citizens: Some empirical evidences. Journal of Health Management , 19 (1), 132-143.
Yang, Z. Q., Zhao, Q., Jiang, P., Zheng, S. B., & Xu, B. (2017). Prevalence and control of hypertension among a Community of Elderly Population in Changning District of shanghai: a cross-sectional study. BMC Geriatrics , 17 (1), 296.
