INFLUENCE OF HEALTH CHALLENGES ON NUTRITIONAL LIFESTYLE OF THE ELDERLY IN RURAL AND URBAN HOUSEHOLDS A CASE STUDY OF SURULERE L.G.A, OYO STATE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
More and more professionals are dedicating their careers to working with the elderly due to the increased global awareness of the health difficulties they face. Because taking part in recreational activities prolongs and improves the quality of a senior’s life.
According to 2009 figures, 7.4 percent of Nigeria’s overall population and 57.2 percent of those aged 65 and above are elderly; this is a significant number (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics 2010). Although the percentage of people 65 and over is expected to rise to 11.7 percent of the Nigerian population by the year 2026, (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics 2010).
As a result, 21.5 percent of those 65 and over were considered low-income in 2012, according to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics’ definition of “low-income” (NBS 2010). Because they are more likely to be poor throughout their lives, older adults are more prone than younger individuals to be ensnared by poverty for the rest of their lives (Lochhead & Scott, 2012).
The fact that income is a major factor of health makes this general trend of poverty among the elderly concerning (Bolig, Borkowski & Brandenberger, 2009). As a result, the health and well-being of Nigeria’s elderly population will become increasingly important as the population ages. More than 75% of Nigeria’s senior population (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2010) lives in rural areas, posing special problems and difficulties for them. Rural living has both beneficial and bad effects on health, according to research (Gerritsen, Wolensperger & Van Den Heuvel, 2010; Mitura & Bollman, 2012).
In rural locations, people with little income are more common and have a lower health condition. People in rural areas may also have a higher amount of “social capital,” which may have an impact on their health status since they receive more community assistance (McCulloch, 2011; Pearson, Scott & Roberto, 2012). Rural areas are home to a large amount of the world’s senior population, and their health status varies widely.
More than half of the world’s population is subject to socioeconomic and health marginalization because of inadequate service supply and economic distress. Elderly people in rural areas are just as likely as their urban counterparts to suffer from mobility issues, vision and hearing impairment, as well as potentially fatal diseases like coronary heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
Across the globe, the elderly are still being ravaged by infections. Many parts of the world saw a rise in the number of old people over the twentieth century. Many infectious diseases, including perinatal and infant mortality, were reduced as a result of improved nutrition and access to basic health care. As a result of this confluence of events, a rising percentage of people are living into their 90s and beyond.
It is expected that emerging countries will continue to have a larger proportion of the elderly population in the coming decades than their developed counterparts. A high birth rate and low mortality rate for developing nations, compared to developed countries in their fourth demographic transition stage, means that these countries have a higher birth rate and lower death rate than their developed counterparts.
At the time of the country’s independence in 1960, the average life expectancy in Nigeria was 37 years old. Longevity has been linked to an increase in the incidence of chronic diseases, an increase in the number of people living with disabilities, and an increase in the use of expensive medical services.
In the same way, the growing population of the elderly presents unique health, social, and economic issues. Although surveys have been conducted in Nigeria, they have been mostly hospital-based and in larger cities, and so have not offered enough information on the health concerns in the community.
It is necessary to have knowledge on the patterns of various acute and chronic health disorders in order to establish suitable health care plans aimed at the needs of the aged. This information is critical to the establishment of community-based primary health care services for the elderly.
OUTLINE OF THE ISSUE
Poverty and a lack of infrastructure in rural and urban areas, where most elderly people reside, prevent them from obtaining a high standard of health. Elderly people have traditionally relied heavily on their family for both financial and emotional support, but this is no longer the case.
If the family support system fails, the community may be able to step in and aid. Nevertheless, the dissolution of family relationships and structures affects the well-being of elderly people who are accustomed to receiving assistance from their extended joint families, where the elderly are treated with respect and their needs are well met.
Health problems that affect children and adolescents are considered more urgent because of Nigeria’s very young age structure than those that affect the elderly. Research and policymakers are ignoring the elderly in Nigeria because of a lack of interest in their needs.
The average size of a home is enormous, and a considerable percentage of elderly people live alone. Those 65 and older in Surulere rely primarily on subsistence farming, which provides no pension coverage and inadequate health care services, according to the current study.
There is a knowledge gap among Nigerians 65 and older, despite the fact that their number is expanding. Lack of research on the impact of health challenges on the nutritional habits of elderly people in rural and urban areas in Nigeria has been documented.
WHAT THE STUDY IS TRYING TO Achieve
Researchers hope to learn more about the effects of health issues on the dietary habits of elderly people living in rural and urban areas. The following are some of the study’s more specific goals:
To learn about the living conditions and dietary habits of the elderly in Surulere L.G.A.’s rural and urban communities.
To find out if the amount of alcohol consumed by elderly people in rural and urban areas correlates with health concerns.
An investigation on how health issues affect the eating habits of elderly people in rural and urban areas.
For the purpose of comparing the nutritional status of senior persons in rural and urban homes in Surulere LGA, this study was conducted.
To investigate the link between the elderly’s health issues and their eating habits in rural and urban families.
This research is aimed at identifying the risk factors related with nutritional vulnerability and recommending solutions for improving nutrition among the elderly in rural and urban households.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH
As a result of Oyo State, Nigeria and the world’s overall high levels of poverty and health difficulties, it is necessary to investigate the health challenges linked with the nutritional lifestyle of these older people in order to aid them in understanding how to adjust their diet. As a result, not only will their health improve, but so will the community’s.
AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT
Health issues have an impact in rural and urban households in Oyo state’s Surulere L.G.A. on the elderly’s nutritional habits, according to the study.
RESTRICTIONS ON THE STUDY
Insufficient funds can hinder a researcher’s ability to get important materials, literature, or information, as well as in the collecting of data (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Due to the researcher’s busy schedule, this study will have to wait while he or she works on other projects. This, in turn, will reduce the amount of time spent on research.
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INFLUENCE OF HEALTH CHALLENGES ON NUTRITIONAL LIFESTYLE OF THE ELDERLY IN RURAL AND URBAN HOUSEHOLDS A CASE STUDY OF SURULERE L.G.A, OYO STATE
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