Factors Associated with Health Status and Health Care Utilization among Korean Older Adults

Abstract

This study described the individual characteristics of physician and inpatient service users that affected health status and health care utilization and examined the factors that are associated with health status and health services utilization among Korean older adults. Based on the 2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which was conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, descriptive and logistic regression analysis was performed. The sample for this study was 1,478 individuals who indicated older than 65 years and older. Self-rated health status was ranked lower among lower-income families, married persons, and those with chronic diseases. The presence of chronic diseases was significant in predicting the likelihood of poor health status, with socio-economic and health-related need factors having predictive power of the use of inpatient hospital services. The study findings show that elderly Koreans who were in poor health status were married, poorer, and had chronic diseases. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of more effectively targeting interventions to older Koreans in poor health and the factors having predictive power of physician and inpatient utilization.