DEVELOPING A PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL TO PREDICT HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

Past studies of the utilization of health care by elderly Ghanaians have failed to separate public and private health care services. This paper addresses a significant gap by exploring the factors that influence the use of both public and private healthcare services, as well as how individuals perceive the responsiveness of the healthcare system. The research has two main objectives: (1) to compare how people view the responsiveness of public versus private health systems, and (2) to identify the factors that impact the choice between public and private healthcare services for those aged 50 and older in Tamil Nadu. The study aims to predict healthcare usage among the elderly by considering a range of personal factors, such as living conditions, sociodemographic characteristics, health beliefs and attitudes, along with both physical and mental health aspects. This research was carried out as part of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE). Better cognitive status, health attitudes, and more medical diagnoses were the strongest predictors of higher pharmaceutical use.  Living alone, hypochondriasis, and physical health factors were the only factors that weakly predicted physician contact.  Conversely, having children close by acted as a buffer against the need for more formal caregiving services, whereas living alone was the strongest predictor of the use of higher levels of caregiving services.