Age-related vs. disease-related: how perceptions of geriatric syndromes shape health-seeking behavior in older adults.

The vast majority of patients in this geriatric cohort experienced at least one geriatric syndrome.

• 94.7% of patients experienced at least one geriatric syndrome
• Sample: n=94, mean age 82.5 ± 5.29 years, 62.8% female
• Cross-sectional, explorative study design
• Setting was a geriatric cohort

Falls, gait problems, and pain were the most frequently reported geriatric syndromes in the cohort.

• Falls were reported by 59.6% of patients
• Gait problems were reported by 55.3% of patients
• Pain was reported by 51.1% of patients
• Seven geriatric syndromes were assessed: falls, gait disturbance, pain, urinary incontinence, memory loss, depressive symptoms, and loss of social contacts

Incontinence, falls, and gait problems were considered the most relevant geriatric syndromes by patients themselves.

• Incontinence was considered most relevant by 39.4% of patients
• Falls were considered most relevant by 37.5% of patients
• Gait problems were considered most relevant by 32.7% of patients
• Perceived relevance was assessed separately from reported prevalence

Health-seeking behavior varied significantly across different geriatric syndromes, with pain driving the most medical consultation and treatment.

• Pain was the primary reason for seeking medical consultation in 89.6% of cases
• Incontinence prompted consultation in 72.7% of cases
• Gait problems prompted consultation in 69.2% of cases
• Therapeutic measures were more commonly initiated for pain (70.8%) than for gait disorders (28.8%) or incontinence (33.3%)
• Symptoms of depression and memory loss received minimal medical attention

Pain was predominantly perceived as disease-related and was associated with higher health-seeking behavior, while memory loss was often perceived as age-related and associated with lower health-seeking behavior.

• Perception of geriatric syndromes as age-related vs. disease-related was measured using a visual analogue scale
• Pain's disease-related perception corresponded with higher rates of medical consultation (89.6%) and therapy (70.8%)
• Memory loss perceived as age-related corresponded with minimal medical attention
• This pattern suggests individual perceptions shape utilization of medical services

There was no significant association between age-related vs. disease-related ratings of geriatric syndromes and several sociodemographic and psychosocial variables.

• No significant association was found with sex, living situation, social support, or education level
• No significant association was found with health literacy or locus of control
• Variables were assessed as part of a comprehensive geriatric assessment

A positive view on aging correlated with perceiving depressive symptoms and lack of energy as disease-related rather than age-related.

• Views on aging were included as an additional variable in the assessment
• The correlation was specific to depressive symptoms and lack of energy among the geriatric syndromes studied
• This was the only psychosocial variable found to be associated with age-related vs. disease-related perception of any geriatric syndrome