Investigating the health profile of Macau Chinese

Aim. To identify the health profile of a group of older people in Macau. Background. People were concerned about their current health status, and Macau people are placing increasing importance on their health. Methods. A descriptive survey was conducted during the period July and August 2004 in six parishes in Macau; 1836 older people aged 60-98 completed a structured questionnaire. Results. Cluster analysis revealed three profiles within five main factors: physical, functional, mental, social and nutritional, and demographic. Conclusions. Our data describing older people's health status can be structured into a profile reflecting the characteristics of the population under study. Healthcare professionals will be able to apply these health profiles to develop interventions that improve this population's health and daily functioning, and broaden their social network. Relevance to clinical practice. The findings will assist healthcare professionals or nurse practitioners by creating health profiles that they can use to develop interventions to improve the health of older Chinese in Macau.