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Effect of socio-economic factors in utilization of different healthcare services among older adult men and women in Ghana
- Source :
- BMC Health Services Research
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- BioMed Central, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Background The older adult population is increasing all over the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, due to poverty and low policy coverage, older adults are not well catered for. The effect of socio-economic inequality in the use of healthcare services among older adult men and women in Ghana was investigated in this paper. Methods The data employed in the study were drawn from Global Ageing and Adult Health survey SAGE Wave 1 Ghana and was based on the design for the World Health Survey 2003, SAGE Wave 0, Ghana. The survey was conducted in 2007–2008 and collected data on socio-economic characteristics and other variables of the 5573 individuals interviewed. Results Using generalized logit model, the study found that health status is a very strong determinant of the type of healthcare services preferred by older adults Ghanaians. Men with higher income preferred the private health facilities, while those who completed tertiary education, those with health insurance and those who self-rated their health as very bad, bad or moderate preferred public facility. Self-employed men and those in informal employment, preferred other health facilities outside the formal public health service. Women with primary and secondary education, preferred the private health facilities. Women with health insurance, those in middle and upper class income quintiles or those with self-rated bad and moderate health status or being relatively younger preferred the public facility to other health services. Self-employed women and those in informal employment preferred traditional treatment. In Ghana, there are important socio-economic gradients in the use of some healthcare services. In both sexes, those without insurance and rural residents preferred the pharmacy and traditional treatment. Conclusion These differences may be due to socio-economic inequities but could also indicate that the existing health facilities are not always used in an optimal way. Patient factors may be equally important as supply factors in explaining the differential use of health services. The public health systems in Ghana still have a major role in improving the health of older adults. National commitments in providing basic essential infrastructure and personnel to health centres for the citizenry is imperative. Policy readjustment of the national health insurance scheme to make it truly accessible to the aged is essential.
- Subjects :
- Employment
Male
Rural Population
medicine.medical_specialty
Healthcare utilization
National Health Programs
media_common.quotation_subject
Health Status
Health informatics
Ghana
Health administration
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Environmental health
Surveys and Questionnaires
Health care
Medicine
Humans
Upper class
030212 general & internal medicine
Socioeconomics
media_common
Informal sector
Poverty
business.industry
030503 health policy & services
Health Policy
Nursing research
Public health
1. No poverty
Health Services
Middle Aged
3. Good health
Socio-economic inequities
Social Class
Socioeconomic Factors
8. Economic growth
Generalized logit
Female
0305 other medical science
business
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14726963
- Volume :
- 16
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Health Services Research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c71f5fee23bf764d41dc400824ec6201