Gender differences in geriatric syndromes as mental illness and nervous system diseases in hospitalized Thai older patients

Abstract

Background Older persons are affected by mental and neurological disorders differently, and gender plays a significant role influencing geriatric disorder differentiation. Accordingly this study characterized gender differences in geriatric syndromes among hospitalized elderly Thai patients. Methods Probabilities of disease occurrence reflecting gender differences were calculated using historical data obtained from the Ministry of Public Health website, Thailand. We selected older patients aged 60 years and above admitted to inpatient departments in public hospitals with mental disorders and nervous system diseases from 2014 to 2018, counting over 160 000 cases each year. Descriptive statistics and odds ratios (ORs) were used to analyse and demonstrate gender differences. Results Compared to older females, older males had higher occurrences of four mental disorders revealed by OR and 95% confidence interval (CI) values: substance abuse (5.74, 5.08–6.49), alcohol use (5.66, 5.44–5.89), behavioural problems (1.34, 1.31–1.37), and schizophrenia (1.10, 1.06–1.14). Lower incidences for older males were seen in the same values for three mental disorders: neurotic issues (0.46, 0.44–0.49), mood disorders (0.58, 0.56–0.60), and dementia (0.91, 0.88–0.94). For neurological disorders, men had similar higher incidences for epilepsy (1.67, 1.63–1.72), cerebral palsy (1.61, 1.57–1.65), nervous system inflammatory diseases (1.53, 1.46–1.60), ischaemic attacks (1.42, 1.36–1.48), miscellaneous other nervous disorders (1.20; 1.18–1.22), and Parkinson's disease (1.15, 1.12–1.19). By contrast, older men had lower incidences of multiple sclerosis (0.55, 0.35–0.86), migraines (0.66, 0.62–0.70), and Alzheimer's disease (0.75, 0.71–0.78). Conclusion Accurate characterization of gender differences in geriatric syndromes can better inform policies for appropriate early detection and prevention, and contribute to the development of treatment and intervention for various issues affecting elderly men and women's health.