Older citizens bring down state’s overall health average

Senior citizens in good health do have healthier lifestyles, according to Pitt’s University… Senior citizens in good health do have healthier lifestyles, according to Pitt’s University Center for Social and Urban Research.

But older residents in the Pittsburgh region with poorer health also exhibit healthier behavior, the center reported.

The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has the second oldest population, after Florida, in the United States. This makes the Pittsburgh region an ideal area to study the health of an older population.

The older residents in Allegheny County outnumber the younger residents, according to an analysis by the Center for Social and Urban Research and the Graduate School of Public Health. The survey, conducted from June 2001 to May 2002, found the overall health of the region is lower than the national average, largely because of the higher percentage of older residents.

The individual statistics showed that the Pittsburgh region was in line with national averages.

The older respondents to the survey are more health conscious than their younger counterparts. Those in the 75- to 84-year-old age range had a flu shot in the last year. Also, a higher percentage of women in the same age group had mammograms and a higher percentage of men had prostate exams.The report found people who felt they were in poor physical condition, along with people who suffer mental or emotional problems, needed the most help with activities. The study found that people with four or more chronic health conditions and those with an annual income less than $15,000 also required help with household chores, medical assistance and transportation.

But good health and good health practices do not necessarily go together.

“Poor health seems to result in engaging in more healthy behavior, while excellent or good health does not result in more healthy behaviors,” according to the report, and there is more improvement for healthier behavior.

The studies were made possible by a research grant for The National Institute of Health and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. The Area Agency on Aging, the Center for Minority Health, Department of Psychiatry, Pitt’s Institute on Aging and UPMC contributed support to the research.