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SURVEYING AFRICAN CARIBBEAN ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH ON HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICE USE
Author(s) -
RICHARDS MARCUS,
BRAYNE CAROL,
FORDE CECILY,
ABAS MELANIE,
LEVY RAYMOND
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(199601)11:1<41::aid-gps273>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - census , afro caribbean , ethnic group , attendance , gerontology , demography , white (mutation) , geography , caribbean region , population , medicine , socioeconomics , sociology , economic growth , political science , latin americans , biochemistry , chemistry , anthropology , law , economics , gene
We established a population‐based register of African Caribbean people aged 65 and older by door knocking every other household within an electoral ward. The remaining households within the ward were either approached or eliminated on the basis of information from neighbours. The number of residents aged 65 and older found during our door knocking was fewer than those specified by the 1991 census for the black Caribbean and white ethnic categories, although the percentage of the census accounted for was higher for black Caribbeans. The discrepancy between our register and the 1991 census was inversely proportional to age. Based on information provided at the doorstep, there was no significant difference between African Caribbean and white elders in extent of GP registration and in time since last attendance at a GP appointment. We conclude that door knocking provides a feasible method for developing a register of African Caribbean elders residing within a defined geographical area. However, care must betaken in enumerating the young elderly.