ArticleJournal of primary care & community health
Minor Ailments in Older Adults: A Study of Prevalence and Health-Related Behaviors.
Article in Journal of primary care & community health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Depressive symptoms score and risk of incident spinal pain in middle-aged and elderly populations: a prospective cohort study based on china health and retirement longitudinal study data.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWith chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension garnering much needed attention in health care, minor ailments can go somewhat unnoticed.
objectiveTo quantify prevalence, symptom burden, and health-related behaviors relative to 31 minor ailments in older adults.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out in 1 Canadian province. Participants were asked about symptoms experienced over a 2-week period, the disruption to daily activities they incurred, and treatment actions undertaken.
resultsThree-hundred and fifty-six adults with an average age of 72.8 years completed a questionnaire. Participants reported an average of 6.2 ailments over the time period. Back pain (46.9%), joint pain (44.4%), and insomnia (38.5%) were most common. The vast majority had been an issue for longer than 2 weeks. OTC medicines were the most common treatment choice in 16 situations, while doing nothing/watchful waiting was the main recourse in 13. OTC medication was common for headache (63.2%) and heartburn (61.2%), while doing nothing/watchful waiting was common for tinnitus (80.5%) and loneliness (74.2%). Satisfaction and confidence in self-management were highest for acute conditions like headache and cold sores.
conclusionMinor ailments are common and diverse in older adults, with many chronic in nature, and a tendency for proactive self-care.
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