AI Article Synopsis
- The study explores how different types of social support affect health service use among older Ghanaians living in the community, using data from a significant health study conducted in 2016/2017.
- Key findings show that regular contact with family, social participation, and receiving money from adult children are linked to higher health service utilization, while having caregivers generally encourages more healthcare use, especially among men.
- Interestingly, receiving financial help was associated with a decrease in health service utilization, highlighting the complex relationship between social support and healthcare access among older adults.
Article Abstract
This study examines multidimensional social supports as predictors of health services utilization among community-dwelling older Ghanaians. Using data from a 2016/2017 Aging, Health, Psychological Wellbeing and Health-Seeking Behavior Study ( = 1,200), Poisson regression models estimated the associations of aspects of informal social support and health facility utilization among older people. Findings suggest that regular contacts with family/close friends (odds ratio [OR] = 1.299; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.111, 1.519]), social participation (OR = 1.021; 95% CI = [1.140, 1.910]), and remittances from adult children (OR = 1.091; 95%CI = [1.086, 1.207]) were associated with increased health services utilization with some gender variations. Having caregivers increased health care use generally (OR = 1.108; 95% CI = [1.016, 1.209]) and among men (OR = 1.181; 95% CI = [1.015, 1.373]). However, we found decrease in health care use among those who received pecuniary assistance (OR = 0.893; 95% CI = [0.805, 0.990]). Perceived and social support domains appear influential in health care utilization among older adults in Ghana. The findings underscore the need for intervention programs and social policies targeted at both micro-factors and wider social factors, including the novel area of remittances to older adults.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0898264318816217 | DOI Listing |
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