Situación actual de la investigación sobre las condiciones de vida y el estado de salud de las personas mayores en España / Current situation of the research on living conditions and health status of elderly people in Spain

OBJETIVO: Analizar las dimensiones estudiadas en la investigación sobre las condiciones de vida y salud de las personas mayores no institucionalizadas en la literatura científica en el medio español. MÉTODO: Análisis de contenidos basado en fuentes secundarias, realizado mediante búsquedas bibliográficas de documentos en Pubmed y Embase en castellano y en inglés. La estrategia de búsqueda combinó términos o categorías relacionados con personas mayores, condiciones de vida y/o salud y España. Se incluyeron los estudios que evaluasen condiciones de vida y/o salud de las personas mayores en España. Se excluyeron los que analizaban un aspecto concreto de las condiciones de vida o salud y los que incluían o se centraban en la población institucionalizada. RESULTADOS: Para el análisis de contenidos se consideró un total de 14 estudios y/o informes como relevantes. Los trabajos localizados son habitualmente de ámbito local, de tipo transversal y la recogida de datos se realiza mediante entrevista al individuo. Se observó variabilidad en los aspectos analizados sobre las condiciones de vida y salud de las personas mayores. La valoración de las características sociodemográficas, el estado de salud y los hábitos de vida se estudiaron de forma habitual. Los aspectos relacionados con el estado del entorno de la vivienda fueron escasamente analizados. CONCLUSIONES: Este estudio permite conocer las dimensiones priorizadas en los estudios sobre condiciones de vida y salud realizados hasta el momento actual en el medio español. Además, aporta claves para el desarrollo de investigaciones futuras que articulen de manera integrada las condiciones de vida y el estado de salud de las personas mayores, aspectos estrechamente relacionados

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the dimensions studied with respect to living and health conditions of the non-institutionalised elderly in the scientific literature in Spain. Method: A content analysis based on secondary sources was carried out by literature searches in Pubmed and Embase in Spanish and English. The search strategies combined terms related to older people, health and/or living conditions and with Spain. All studies assessing living and/or health conditions of elderly in Spain were included. Studies analyzing a specific aspect of living or health conditions and those based on institutionalized population were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were considered in the content analysis. The studies are usually local, cross-sectional and data collection is done by direct interview. Variability was observed in the aspects analysed about living and health conditions. All studies included: sociodemographic characteristics, health status and lifestyle habits. Issues related to the status of the out-of home environment are poorly analysed. CONCLUSIONS: This work allows knowing the dimensions prioritised in the studies carried out to date about health and living conditions in Spain. It also provides key elements for the development of future research aiming to integrate both living and health conditions of elderly population, both aspects closely related

[Current situation of the research on living conditions and health status of elderly people in Spain]. / Situación actual de la investigación sobre las condiciones de vida y el estado de salud de las personas mayores en España.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the dimensions studied with respect to living and health conditions of the non-institutionalised elderly in the scientific literature in Spain. METHOD: A content analysis based on secondary sources was carried out by literature searches in Pubmed and Embase in Spanish and English. The search strategies combined terms related to older people, health and/or living conditions and with Spain. All studies assessing living and/or health conditions of elderly in Spain were included. Studies analyzing a specific aspect of living or health conditions and those based on institutionalized population were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were considered in the content analysis. The studies are usually local, cross-sectional and data collection is done by direct interview. Variability was observed in the aspects analysed about living and health conditions. All studies included: sociodemographic characteristics, health status and lifestyle habits. Issues related to the status of the out-of home environment are poorly analysed. CONCLUSIONS: This work allows knowing the dimensions prioritised in the studies carried out to date about health and living conditions in Spain. It also provides key elements for the development of future research aiming to integrate both living and health conditions of elderly population, both aspects closely related.

[Cancer Survival between 1995 and 2004 in the Basque Country, Spain].

BACKGROUND: geographic differences described in the prognosis of cancer patients in the Basque Country have been attributed to a different incidence in tumours with different lethality. Therefore, cancer relative survival adjusted by case-mix was included to estimate cancer survival by provinces and health regions, using data from 1995 to 2004. METHODS: a total of 93 585 cases of malignant tumours were identified from a population-based cancer registry. The five-year relative survival (RS) was calculated using Ederer´s method. The five-year relative excess risk (RER) of death was estimated with a generalised linear model, standardized by age and adjusted for sex, date of diagnosis and case-mix. RESULTS: the five-year RS increased from period 1995-1999 to 2000-2004, this latter, with values ranging by health regions between 46-58% and 57-65% in men and women, respectively. There was an excess risk of death in Bizkaia (RER=1.06, CI95%: 1.03-1.09), this same effect being identified in almost all the health regions in the province. In contrast, in Gipuzkoa province, differences were only statistically significant in the Gipuzkoa and Tolosa health regions (RER=1.07; CI95%: 1.02-1.13 and RER=0.91; CI95%: 0.84-0.98, respectively), and even these disappeared after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: cancer patients of Bizkaia, except for the Uribe health region, presented a worse prognosis.

Supervivencia del cáncer en el País Vasco entre 1995-2004 / Cancer survival between 1995 and 2004 in the Basque Country, Spain

Fundamentos: las diferencias geográficas descritas en el pronóstico de los pacientes de cáncer en el País Vasco han sido atribuidas a la diferente incidencia en tumores de diferente letalidad. Por ello, se incluye la supervivencia relativa del cáncer ajustada por la casuística para estimar la supervivencia del conjunto de los tumores malignos por provincias y comarcas sanitarias, utilizando los datos de 1995 a 2004. El objetivo del trabajo es estimar la supervivencia de los tumores malignos en el País Vasco por provincias y comarcas sanitarias durante el período 1995-2004. Métodos: se incluyeron 93.585 tumores malignos del registro poblacional de cáncer. Se calculó la supervivencia relativa (SR) a 5 años con el método de Ederer. Se estimó el exceso de riesgo relativo (ERR) de muerte a los 5 años con el modelo lineal generalizado, estandarizando por edad y ajustando por sexo, período de diagnostico y casuística. Resultados: la SR a los 5 años aumentó en el período 2000-2004 con respecto a 1995-1999 con valores que oscilaron por comarcas entre el 46-58% y el 57-65% en hombres y mujeres, respectivamente. Se observó un exceso de riesgo de muerte en pacientes de Bizkaia (ERR= 1,06; IC95%: 1,03-1,09, efecto que se observo en casi todas sus comarcas. Por el contrario, en Gipuzkoa, sólo las comarcas Gipuzkoa y Tolosa mostraron diferencias significativas (ERR=1,07; IC95%: 1,02-1,13 y ERR=0,91; IC95%: 0,84-0,98, respectivamente), las cuales desaparecieron al ajustar el modelo. Conclusiones: dentro del Pais Vasco fueron los pacientes de Bizkaia, a excepción de la comarca Uribe, los que presentaron peor pronóstico(AU)

Background: geographic differences described in the prognosis of cancer patients in the Basque Country have been attributed to a different incidence in tumours with different lethality. Therefore, cancer relative survival adjusted by case-mix was included to estimate cancer survival by provinces and health regions, using data from 1995 to 2004. Methods: a total of 93 585 cases of malignant tumours were identified from a population-based cancer registry. The five-year relative survival (RS) was calculated using Ederer's method. The five-year relative excess risk (RER) of death was estimated with a generalised linear model, standardized by age and adjusted for sex, date of diagnosis and case-mix. Results: the five-year RS increased fromperiod 1995-1999 to 2000- 2004, this latter, with values ranging by health regions between 46-58% and 57-65% in men and women, respectively. There was an excess risk of death in Bizkaia (RER=1.06, CI95%: 1.03-1.09), this same effect being identified in almost all the health regions in the province. In contrast, in Gipuzkoa province, differences were only statistically significant in the Gipuzkoa and Tolosa health regions (RER=1.07; CI95%: 1.02-1.13 and RER=0.91; CI95%: 0.84-0.98, respectively), and even these disappeared after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions: cancer patients of Bizkaia, except for the Uribe health region, presented a worse prognosis(AU)