Student
Dissertation 3rd Batch 
Socio-cultural construction of illness: Ranking of illness by elderly and young adults in rural Bangladesh
Tanvir Ahmed
Abstract
Introduction
According to global projections, the number of people aged 60 and over will increase fourfold by 2050. At present 60% of world's elderly population live in low income countries and Bangladesh is not an exception to this demographic transition. Soon the country will face a great health challenge as the older population will continue to swell and will eventually comprise 10% of the total population by 2025. Since poverty and social exclusions are considered as greatest threat to the elderly people's well-being, increasing landlessness, rural urban migration and changing lifestyles with small family norms will put the elderly of Bangladesh in a vulnerable situation. Bangladesh is not prepared to face this emerging challenge as the country lacks in adequate elderly specific health workforce and facilities as well as elderly specific health policies. Thus the elderly are mostly supported by their social network which is mostly comprised by their family, friends and neighbor. Therefore for proper recognition of the elderly health problems, a clear understanding of the elderly people's socio-cultural construction of illness and how it differs from their social network is needed.
