A study of aged population and associated health risks in rural India.

This article examines the prevalence of age-related diseases in different socioeconomic and demographic groups. The study is based on a sample of 267 aged persons (> 60 years) collected through a survey entitled "Aging and Health Conditions in Rural Area-A Sample Survey, 1990" conducted in the rural areas of the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh, a northern province of India. Various socio-behavioral factors are found to play a significant role in determining the health conditions of aged people. Also, illiteracy and poverty are found to have their own impact on health during aging. It is also noted that due to adverse familial relationships, many stress-related disorders occur which may result in the poor health of the elderly. Demands for old age pensions were made by most of the elderly people in the sample.