Chronic Diseases Knowledge and Related Factors among the Elderly in Jinan, China

Abstract

BackgroundIt has been reported that the prevalence of chronic diseases is high among old people and they have poor chronic diseases knowledge. This study was therefore designed to evaluate the awareness rate of chronic diseases knowledge among people aged over 60 years, to explore its related factors and to provide evidence for future health education.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from April to August in 2011. People aged 60 years and above from 3 communities in Jinan were selected by cluster sampling. Nine hundred and twenty five participants were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire.ResultsThe awareness rates of chronic diseases knowledge varied from 29.5% to 90.2%. Four healthy lifestyles including quitting smoking and less drinking, keeping broad-minded, maintaining balanced diet and moderate physical activity were best known (from 86.3% to 90.2%). The least known knowledge were 2 complications of hypertension: nephropathy (29.5%) and retinopathy (37.2%). Participants with the following characteristics or behaviors were more likely to have higher chronic diseases knowledge: younger age, female, Han Chinese, higher level of education, having health insurance, participating in societies, having family history of chronic diseases, frequently gathering with friends/relatives, usually going to provincial hospitals/hospitals affiliated with medical universities, usually going to municipal hospitals and usually going to community health center/station.ConclusionsOld people in Jinan had incomplete chronic diseases knowledge and the overall awareness rate was not high. The older people’s chronic diseases knowledge should be improved and health education programs should target males, older people with lower educational level, having no health insurance, having no family history of chronic diseases, participating in no societies, and less frequently gathering with friends/relatives. Also, lower level medical facilities should improve their skills of health education.

Knowledge and practice regarding diabetes and hypertension among elderly patients attending medicine out-patient department at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar

“…In the study done by Yapei song et al about half of the participants did not know smoking, drinking alcohol, marital stains and lack of exercise were risk factors of hypertension and about 40% did not know high calorie diet or obesity were risk factors of diabetes mellitus. 12 This study shows that knowledge of symptoms of the diabetes and hypertension is more in patients who are suffering from that disease and it is statistically also proved as shown in Table 5 …”

“…Yapei song et al in their study found 66.6% participants knew stroke while only one third knew about nephropathy and retinopathy as complication for hypertension. 12 In this study 63% of the elderly were not aware of any of the predisposing factor for the non-communicable diseases. In the study done by Yapei song et al about half of the participants did not know smoking, drinking alcohol, marital stains and lack of exercise were risk factors of hypertension and about 40% did not know high calorie diet or obesity were risk factors of diabetes mellitus.…”

“…Yapei song et al in their study found that correct rates of chronic disease knowledge varied from 29.5% to 90.2%. 12 Assessing the knowledge about complications of diabetes and hypertension in our study it was found that 50% of elderly were not aware about any diabetes complications, 22% knew about kidney failure, 13% about diabetic foot, 7% heart failure, 4% loss of vision, 3% eye damage and only 1% knew about poor wound healing. 51% were not aware about any hypertension complications, 29% knew heart attack, 10% stroke, 5% heart failure and only 5% about blurred vision.…”

Self-Management Program for People with Chronic Kidney Disease in Vietnam: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial

“…Two further systematic reviews indicate that providing self-management education is vital in improving patients' knowledge of their disease, which helps to prevent complications and improve their quality of life (Bhurji, Javer, Gasevic, & Khan, 2016;Dinh, Bonner, Clark, Ramsbotham, & Hines, 2016). However, two recent studies indicate that many people with chronic disease have inadequate knowledge about their disease, medications they take, medicine side effects, and required activities to manage their disease and promote their health (Gallagher, Warwick, Chenoweth, Stein-Parbury, & Milton-Wildey, 2011;Song et al, 2013). For example, in a study conducted in China with a sample of people known to have a chronic disease (n = 925), Song et al (2013) found that few were aware that they had a chronic disease.…”

“…However, two recent studies indicate that many people with chronic disease have inadequate knowledge about their disease, medications they take, medicine side effects, and required activities to manage their disease and promote their health (Gallagher, Warwick, Chenoweth, Stein-Parbury, & Milton-Wildey, 2011;Song et al, 2013). For example, in a study conducted in China with a sample of people known to have a chronic disease (n = 925), Song et al (2013) found that few were aware that they had a chronic disease. In another study conducted in Australia of 118 participants with chronic illnesses who were assessed on their medication knowledge found that participants' medication knowledge was low [(mean = 47.61, SD = 18.73) out of a potential 100] (Gallagher et al, 2011).…”