A Comparative Study in Morbidity Profile and Treatment Seeking Behaviour in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Background: Morbidity in the ageing population is progressively increasing due to longer life expectancy, accumulation of cellular damage, loss of adaptive response and rising susceptibility to communicable and non-communicable diseases, especially in urban settings. treatment-seeking behaviour in the elderly is influenced by various factors such as age, financial status, comorbidities, accessibility, and attitudes of healthcare providers, with many older adults showing reluctance to seek medical care. Objectives: To assess the association between morbidity and biosocial profile. To assess the relationship among treatment seeking behaviour and sociodemographic characteristic. Methods: A total of 600 participants were surveyed using multistage random sampling. Result: The study revealed a high prevalence of morbidities, notably cataract (55.3%) and hypertension (42.0%), increasing morbidity significantly with age and lower socioeconomic status. Only 19.5% participants are medically insured. Treatment was sought by 72.7% of participants and higher in female as compare to male participants, with decreasing trends in older age groups. Conclusion: The findings highlight significant disparities based on age, gender, and socioeconomic factors, improved geriatric healthcare, expanded insurance coverage, and enhanced awareness of government health care schemes.