SELF-REPORTED HEALTH AND FUNCTION STATUS OF ELDERLY TURKISH IMMIGRANTS IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

This study analyses the self-reported health and functional status of elderly Turkish immigrants in Copenhagen. One hundred and sixteen Turk ish immigrants aged 55 and over were interviewed at home about their h ealth problems and their ability to perform a number of daily activiti es. Only one-third of the respondents reported having no chronic illne ss, while chronic arthritis was the one mentioned most frequently (41% ). Almost 2/3 of the respondents reported having pains in their locomo tor systems. Women are over-represented, but the differences are not s tatistically significant. As regards the 11 daily activities in the qu estionnaire, only 39 of the respondents reported being able to perform all of them without difficulty. The article suggests some possible ex planations for the results and suggests future areas for research.