Comparison of Health Conditions Based on Degenerative Diseases in Rural and Urban Elderly

Abstract

As they age, elderly people naturally experience a decline in physiological and cognitive function, making them vulnerable to various health problems. The process of decreasing body organ function, which generally occurs in old age, can cause degenerative diseases.  The health condition of the elderly can be seen from two basic health indicators, namely the percentage of elderly people who experience health complaints and the morbidity rate of the elderly, namely the condition when an elderly person experiences health complaints and causes disruption to their daily activities or activities.  The research aims to analyze the comparison of the incidence of degenerative diseases, especially hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the elderly in rural and urban areas.  This research was descriptive research (cross sections study) carried out in Tiong Ohang Village, Long Apar District, Mahakam Hulu Regency, and Samarinda City. This research involved 88 respondents selected using the Consecutive sampling method, consisting of 44 respondents from Tiong Ohang Village, Long Apari District, Mahakam Ulu Regency, and 44 respondents from Samarinda City.  The data collected consists of primary data taken based on the results of interviews with respondents, secondary data taken from literature studies and research reports related to research, and data analysis using the T-test.  The research results showed that as many as 70.45% of elderly people in urban areas and 72.73% of elderly people in rural areas had health problems in the form of degenerative diseases (hypertension and diabetes mellitus). The results of statistical tests show that there are no real differences in the health conditions of the elderly in urban and rural areas.