Abstract

BANHATO, Eliane Ferreira Carvalho; SILVA, Kelly Cristina Atalaia da; MAGALHAES, Neide Cordeiro de  and  MOTA, Márcia Elia da. Aspectos sociais e de saúde de idosos residentes na comunidade de uma cidade brasileira. Psicol. Am. Lat. [online]. 2008, n.14. ISSN 1870-350X.

The increase in the elderly population has propitiated ample debate on the thematic of aging. Such fact is particularly important in the developing countries where, in contrast of the developed countries, the population growth occurs rapidly and in a context of social differences, fragile economy, precarious access to the services of health and reduced financial resources. This study describes the profile of the health of elderly residents in a Brazilian community. For this, a representative sample of the elderly population was selected from the city of Juiz de Fora (MG), pertaining to the Southeastern Region of Brazil, the pattern of demographic characteristics of this population is described. Although the study was carried out with specific population, this study can contribute in a significant form when supplying important information on the demands of care and the necessities of elderly people, given the scarcity of population studies on this population group.

Keywords : Aging; Health and aging; Elderly care.