Sociodemographic correlates of somatic symptoms of older persons in Jordan

Aim: this study aims to examine the sociodemographic correlates of somatic symptoms among older persons in jordan. materials and methods: cross-sectional explorative design using convenience sample of 1058 older persons in jordan has been used. data were collected using structured,self-report format in regards to physical health problems and sociodemographic information. results: the three most concerning physical symptoms were 'pain in arms,legs,or joints','feeling tired or having low energy' and 'back pain' with a frequency of 71.5% (n=756),69.6% (n=737),and 62.2% (n=754) respectively. there were significant differences in all somatic problems between males and females except in shortness of breath and fainting spells,with females being more affected by somatic symptoms. smokers and nonsmokers differed in four main somatic symptoms: 'pain in arms,legs and joints','chest pain','shortness of breath',and 'feeling heart pound or race'. a significant and positive association was observed between age and three main somatic symptoms; those were 'pain in arm,leg and joint' (kendall's tau b=7.12,p =.005),'chest pain' (kendall's tau b =5.01,p =.015),and 'shortness of breath' (kendall's tau b=11.56,p <.001). point biserial correlation showed that number of cigarettes smoked has positive and significant correlation with 'shortness of breath','chest pain' and 'pain or problems during sexual intercourse',while number of cups of coffee per day had no significant correlation. conclusion: ageing is a significant contributor to physical health deterioration. life style factors such as smoking have also significant impact on older person health. © 2017 dar publishers / the university of jordan. all rights reserved.