Every fourth senior citizen in India rates health as poor: LASI

Every fourth senior citizen in India rates health as poor: LASI

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare released the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) Wave-1 Report.

About LASI

LASI is a full–scale national survey of scientific investigation of the health, economic, and social determinants and consequences of population ageing in India.

The National Programme for Health Care of Elderly, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has undertaken the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India, through International Institute for Population Sciences, (IIPS), Mumbai in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health, University of Southern California, USA, Dte. GHS, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and National Institute on Ageing.

The LASI, Wave 1 covered a baseline sample of 72,250 individuals aged 45 and above and their spouses including 31,464 elderly persons aged 60 and above and 6,749 oldest-old persons aged 75 and above from all States and Union Territories (UTs) of India (excluding Sikkim).

Key Findings of the Report

Self-rated Health:

Every fourth Indian above the age of 60 and every fifth Indian above the age of 45, reported poor health. The prevalence of poor self-reported health (SRH) in those above 60 (24%) is twice than in the 45-59 age group. Among these age groups, a higher percentage of women and individuals from rural areas reported poor health.

Disabilities among ageing Population:

About 8% of Indians aged 45 years and above, reported having at least one form of impairment. The prevalence is almost twice among senior citizens (10.5%) than those between 45 years and 59 years.

A high percentage of senior citizens in rural areas had a physical or mental impairment than their urban counterparts. The major disabilities reported are locomotive impairments (five per cent), followed by visual (three per cent), mental (two per cent), hearing (two per cent) and speech impairments (one per cent).

Karnataka and Dadra & Nagar Haveli have the highest proportions of senior citizens with disabilities. Meghalaya, Lakshadweep, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh reported the least.