Maysoon M Al Amoud
Ministry of Health, Saudi ArabiaTitle: Morbidity profile among older people at primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia during the period 2012-2020
Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the morbidity profile and explore the geriatric giants, health
problems, and their risk factors among old people in the older people health clinics at
primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This is a record-based descriptive cross-sectional study. Data was collected
between 2012-2020 using the health data of older people to whom comprehensive
geriatric assessment was carried out at 1,481 PHCCs in Saudi Arabia. Data included
sociodemographic and health related characteristics, medications, results of CGA,
complete clinical examination, and laboratory results.
Assessment was carried out for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, underweight, vision
and hearing impairments, depression, memory and cognitive impairment, risk of falls,
urine incontinence, bronchial asthma, and anemia.
Results: A total of 193,715 older people were screened. A high prevalence of diabetes
(55.4%), hypertension (49.1%), diabetes and hypertension co-morbidity (26.8%), and
obesity (22.2%) were found. The overall prevalence of anemia was 4.7% and asthma
8.9%. The prevalence of positive screening for depression was 5.9%, 2.9% for memory
and cognitive impairment, 6.3% for urine incontinence, and 4.0% for risk of fall. The
prevalence of vision impairment was 20.6%, hearing impairments was 12.6%, and for
underweight it was 5.4%. There was high prevalence of risk factors like smoking
(8.5%), and polypharmacy (25.3%). Health regions varied widely in prevalence of the
studied health conditions.
Conclusion: The study findings highlight the importance of CGA in early detection of
geriatric giants, health problems, and associated risk factors among Saudi older people
Biography
Maysoon M Al Amoud works at the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia.