Abstract:
Remarkable increase in life expectancy in Ghana has resulted in a major health threat where there is a major shift from infectious and parasitic diseases to chronic non- communicable diseases that mostly affect older people and posing a great danger on global health. Modifiable lifestyles are major determinants of adult chronic diseases, morbidity and mortality. With a rapid increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in most developing countries as a result of ageing and unhealthy health-related lifestyles, it is a public health threat that has potential socio-economic to both individuals and society. This study sought to examine the influence of health-related lifestyles on the health conditions of the elderly in Ghana. This study sampled 4,724 adults aged 50 years and above from WHO-SAGE (2007/8) Ghana dataset in which respondents answered questions on some socio demographic characteristics and the prevalence of chronic diseases. The study used sequential binary logistic regression model to assess the relationship between health-related lifestyles and the prevalence of health conditions among the study population. Generally, the results show that 65.8% of respondents had at least a chronic condition of which majority were females. The regression analysis show that all of the four lifestyle indicators assessed - alcohol consumption, tobacco use, diet and physical activity, as well as, age and sex were significant predictors of chronic conditions among the aged. Based on the findings, it is recommended that Ghana put in structures to monitor the on-going demographic changes and its impacts, whilst paying more attention to the health of the elderly population and advocating greatly for a change in behavioral pattern for all.
