Prevalence of Geriatric Syndromes and its Epidemiological Determinants among Diabetic and Nondiabetic Individuals: A...

Population aging is a global phenomenon, with the number of persons over 60 steadily increasing. "Geriatric syndrome" encompasses various indicators of impaired organ function, including falls, polypharmacy, malnutrition, dementia, frailty, sleep disturbances, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence. To study the prevalence and determinants of geriatric syndrome among diabetic and nondiabetic geriatric patients in urban and rural areas of Puducherry.

This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the field practice area of the tertiary care hospital in Puducherry. Sample size is found to be 404, and a population proportionate to the size is applied to collect the required samples from each area. Data collection involved a pre-tested interview schedule for sociodemographic characteristics and standardized, validated questionnaires for assessing geriatric syndromes among diabetic and nondiabetic individuals. The Chi-square test for categorical variables and independent t-test for numerical variables were used, with P values < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Among rural diabetics, 35.1% experienced polypharmacy, 90.7% reported mild pain, 88.7% had slight urinary incontinence, 10.3% moderate incontinence, and 1.0% severe incontinence. Additionally, 26.8% exhibited cognitive impairment, 22.7% reported falls, and 45.4% experienced depressive symptoms. Urban diabetics had a polypharmacy prevalence of 29.7%, with 85.1% reporting mild pain. For urinary incontinence, 91.9% of urban diabetics had slight symptoms, and 8.1% had moderate symptoms. Cognitive impairment was found in 24.3% of urban diabetics, 9.5% reported falls, and 29.7% experienced depressive symptoms.

This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and determinants of geriatric syndromes among diabetic and nondiabetic individuals, highlighting the need for targeted clinical interventions and public health strategies that address the unique challenges of different settings.