Health and Wellbeing of Older People in Mongolia: A Population-Based Survey

The objectives of this survey were to describe the health of older Mongolians and compare those living in rural areas, urban apartment areas, and urban ger areas in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. A population-based random sample survey of 975 people aged 60 years and older was conducted in 2017 to 2018. Data were collected using methods of the World Health Organization’s Study on global AGEing and adult health. The most common chronic self-reported health conditions were hypertension (65%), arthritis (40%), and angina (23%). Most (80%) reported they were satisfied with life and the mean World Health Organization Quality of Life score on a scale of 0 to 100 was 70.6, which is relatively high. There was a higher prevalence of activities of daily living (ADLs) disability in rural areas, with 17% reporting severe difficulty with at least one ADL. High levels of disability in rural areas suggest the need for improved health and social services, including housing, for older people living outside Ulaanbaatar.