Health Hazards Associated With Farm Household Activities Performed By Elderly Rural Women

Dr. Sandhya Rani; Dr. Promila Sharma

Volume : VI, Issue : IX, September - 2017

Health Hazards Associated With Farm Household Activities Performed By Elderly Rural Women

Dr. Sandhya Rani, Dr. Promila Sharma

Abstract :

Aging is defined as a progressive deterioration of physiological functions with age. It ings about a number of physiological changes. It not only affects a person�s looks, but also becomes a cause of physical deterioration. Rural elderly women in the 50 to 65 age group often lose good quality life, due to several family situations, hence unaware about obtaining and maintaining health care at minimal. Aside from common barriers, including shortage of care providers and facilities, older women face various challenges. Elder women living in rural areas are at risk for inadequate health care coverage, limited access to health information, and on the top of it their being involved in all odd activities at household level.

This study was undertaken to know the health risks among elderly rural women and to gather information about farm household activities performed by these aged women. The present study is descriptive in nature. Herein, an attempt is made to describe the situation and major health risks faced by the elderly women from 70 samples of aged 60 and above in seven rural communes of Udham Singh Nagar of Uttarakhand, India. Findings reveal that the most common activities performed by most of the rural elderly were carrying load, collection of fuel/fodder, harvesting, transplanting/sowing and weeding. A significant association was found between health risks and the farm household activities performed by the elderly rural women (p<0.05).