Assessment of Self-Care in Promoting Healthy Aging Among the Elderly in Rural Areas of Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu

Background India's elderly population is rapidly growing, facing various social and economic challenges, with nearly half suffering from chronic diseases affecting their quality of life. Self-care, as defined by the World Health Organisation, plays a crucial role in maintaining health, independence, and life satisfaction among the elderly, though it is influenced by factors like socio-economic status and social support. With the goal to promote healthier aging, this study aims to assess the prevalence of self-care among the elderly aged 60 years and above and also to determine the factors influencing their self-care practices. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural field-practice areas of a private medical college and hospital, Kancheepuram, among 225 elderly aged 60 years and above. The study participants were selected through simple random sampling. After obtaining informed consent, data collection was carried out using a pre-structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Data was entered into MS Excel (Microsoft® Corp., Redmond, USA) and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, United States). Descriptive statistics were presented in tables, and analytical statistics, including the chi-square test, were performed to determine associations between related variables. Results Among the 225 participants, the majority of the people belonged to the age group of 60 to <75 years, 74.2% were married, and around 51% were financially supported by their families. Poor self-care was seen among 38% of the participants. Poor self-care was seen to be higher among the elderly >75 years of age. Participants with an illness duration of more than 5 years, those who did not take medications on their own, and those who were not on routine follow-up, were found to have statistically significant factors of poor self-care. Conclusion Self-care is essential since elderly people regularly deal with limitations and concerns that are often disregarded. It is crucial to teach healthcare professionals self-care techniques so that older people, especially those with non-communicable diseases, are aware of them. Families and caregivers are also essential in promoting the health of the elderly and ought to get education on self-care practices.