A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOCIO ECONOMIC AND HEALTH STATUS OF SENIOR CITIZENS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AND UTTAR PRADESH STATE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SOCIO ECONOMIC AND HEALTH STATUS OF SENIOR CITIZENS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AND UTTAR PRADESH STATE.”

The main objective of the study was to compare the Socio Economic and Health Status of Senior Citizens of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh State. 2000 sample were selected on the bases of simple random method viz: 1000 of each State. 500 male and 500 female gender wise categories were selected of each state. V. Kuupuswami scale (SES) and Barry TL Standardized Health Status Questionnaire (HSQ 12) was used for data collection. The percentage and contingency chi square method (x²) were used for analysis of the data. The statistical analysis was found the significant difference in between socio-economic and health status of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh State. of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh State Kuppuswamy’s Socio-Economic Standardized scale was used for the Investigation. Barry TL Standardized Health Status Questionnaire (HSQ 12) was used for measuring the Health Status of Senior Citizens living in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh State, taken for the present study.


Introduction
Himachal Pradesh is a captivating region of the Indian Himalayas. It is often referred to as the "Magical Showcase of Nature's Splendor" ideal for the travelers to travel, enjoy and relax. Abundant green grassland and wide valleys set against imposing snow-clad mountains; crystal clear lakes, flowing rivers and spurting streams; fruit laden groves and soft terraces of corn and tea are characteristics of Himachal Pradesh. It is the ultimate travel destination of India.
The state of Himachal Pradesh has boundaries with the Jammu and Kashmir in the North, Uttar Pradesh in the Southeast, Haryana in the South and Punjab in the West. It is located between 30"22' and 30"12' north latitude and between 75"47' and 79"4' east longitude. The mountainous state has altitudes ranging from 350 to 7000 meters (1050 ft. to 21000 ft.) above the sea level.
Uttar Pradesh is a state located in northern India. It was created on 1 April 1937 as the United Provinces, and was renamed Uttar Pradesh in 1950. Lucknow is the capital and Kanpur is the Http://www.granthaalayah.com ©International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH [41] commercial capital and the largest city of Uttar Pradesh. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was carved from the mountainous Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh.
Socio-Economic status (SES) is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person's work experience and of an Individual's or family's economic and social position in relation to others, based on income, education, and occupation. When analyzing a family's SES, the household income, earners' education, and occupation are examined, as well as combined income, versus with an individual, when their own attributes are assessed.
Senior Citizen is a common euphemism for an elderly person in both UK and US, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn usually implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country.
Synonyms include pensioner in UK and retiree and senior in US. Some dictionaries describe widespread usage of "senior citizen" for people over the age of 65. "Senior citizen" is replacing the term old-age pensioner traditionally used in UK.

Objective of the Study
The following were the objectives of the study:-1) To measure the Socio-economic Status of Senior Citizens living in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh State. 2) To measure the Health Status of Senior Citizens living in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh State.

Hypothesis of the Study
It was hypothesized that there will be significant difference in between Socio Economic and Health Status of Senior Citizens living in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh State." Statistical Analysis and Interpretations of the Data:     The table no-2 explores the components wise health status of the male and female senior citizens of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. While arranging the average percentages in descending serial order, it has been found that female of H.P. has been scored high in each components of health. The average percentage concludes that 54% H.P. female were not only found good in health than female senior citizens of Utter Pradesh (49.6%) but also reported better health than Male of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh state respectively. The H.P. male (51.4%) were found slightly ahead in health than male senior citizen of Uttar Pradesh (47.6%) respectively.

Design of the Study
The table also suggests that averagely around 39% males and 37.5% females of both states showed average health. Near about 14% male and 13.2% female of Utter Pradesh states reported poor health while the rate of poor health in Himachal is noted around 8.6% in male and 7.8% in female.
In over all conclusions we can say that the average rate of poor health in both genders is less than 13.6% and 8.2% in Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh respectively, which shows that male and female senior citizens of both states in huge majority has reported healthier health status. During health components wise analysis , it has been found that male of Himachal Pradesh were found better in good health than male senior citizens of Uttar Pradesh in social functioning In common aging health problems, the female of both states were found significantly differed in fatigue, while Male were found differed in Bodily pain. The calculated chi square of female fatigue is 42.12 and male body pain is 13.1 which are found greater than the tabulated value, which shows that the difference is significant.
Insignificant difference recorded in bodily pain and mental health's of female while male were found insignificant in mental health. The calculated chi square female (mental health 3.687 and bodily pain 2.745) and male (fatigue 3.874) is found insignificant at 0.05 level of significance, which meant that female of both states were found almost similar in mental health bodily pain , while male were found common in ageing problem i.e. fatigue.
However, the component wise calculated percentage shows that female and male of Himachal Pradesh both were found slightly better in maximum health components than the female and male of Uttar Pradesh.
The state wise comparison of health status of male and female senior citizens also done by employing chi square test on observed average frequencies and it was found that the calculated chi square male 8.298 and female 7.943 is significant at 0.05 level of significance, which meant that male and female of both states differed significantly in respect to their Health status.

Conclusions
The overall findings suggest that senior citizens of Himachal Pradesh were found poor in socioeconomic status than Uttar Pradesh, but Himachali were found better in Health status. Apart this, the findings also lead to following conclusions:- The rural and urban senior citizens of both states were differed significantly in respect to their socio economic status, while urban have reported comparatively better Socioeconomic status than rural.  The male and female senior citizens of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh state differed significantly in respect to their Health Status, but the senior citizens (male & female) of Himachal Pradesh reported healthier health than Uttar Pradesh counterparts.