Health and illness among the elderly of minority ethnic groups living in Birmingham: some new findings.

The number of people over pensionable age who are of ethnic minority (New Commonwealth) origin is increasing rapidly. A limited survey of 348 Afro-Caribbean and Asian elderly people and 52 elderly Europeans living in Birmingham was recently carried out to investigate, among other things, their health and use of health services. The main survey findings on the proportions of the elderly needing to visit their doctors or go to hospital for treatment, the proportions suffering problems of sight, hearing and walking or having dental problems, and other indicators of health and illness are briefly discussed in this paper.