Commitment of the Elderly People in Bulgaria to their Own Health

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the context of health education, the lifestyle of each individual includes social and behavioral factors that are potentially manageable and preventable in general. A health-educated person adheres to healthy lifestyle, which is characterized by the presence of: active attitude to his own health, positive health motivation, skills for health protection and strengthening, and useful health habits. Stimulating one of them is the systematic monitoring and registration of the main vital indicators, as a good prerequisite for active monitoring of the health condition. As of December 31, 2019 the population of Bulgaria is 6,951,482 people, and the people, aged 65 and over are 1,504,088, or 21.6% of the country’s population.

AIM: The objective of this study was to establish the degree of personal commitment and responsibility for their health of people over 65-year-old, living in Bulgaria. Tasks: (a) To make a questionnaire, (b) Processing of the received information and analysis of results, (c) Formulation of conclusions regarding awareness, health motivation and lifestyle of the respondents, (d) Reporting the degree of responsibility for their health of the respondents.

METHODS: Mathematical-statistical – dispersion, comparative analysis, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient/p/;desk research; interview. Contingent: 113 people; average age – approx. 68.168 ± 8.80 years. Time: 2019.

RESULTS: (1) A statistically significant relationship was found: p = 0.001 and x² = 21.886. The respondents with two chronic diseases – 40.5% are well aware of the normal values of the measured indicators. (2) Two thirds of the respondents/74.3%/are well informed about the normal and pathological values of the main vital indicators, which they can measure and register themselves. (3) 76% of the respondents have received the necessary health information from the medical team/partnership model. (4) Only half of the older respondents in the study/51.4%/follow a diet complied with their health status.

CONCLUSION: In our professional medical care for the elderly people in Bulgaria, we must place emphasis on their preventive and prophylactic commitment to their own health. The useful and practical combination of properly received and internalized medical information from the elderly people is an important prerequisite for their informed commitment to their own health.