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KMID : 0858820210380010037
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Journal of Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion
2021 Volume.38 No. 1 p.37 ~ p.47
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A study on the longitudinal associations between social relationships and outpatient visits in older adults
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Jung Yun-Kyung
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Abstract
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Objectives: The present study aims to understand the health care utilization of older adults in the context of social network characteristics. The specific focus was to examine longitudinal associations between social network characteristics and the number of outpatient visits in older adults over time.
Methods: Analyses were based on 3,374 older adults aged 65 and older who participated in the 5th (2014) to the 7th (2018) waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA). Mixed-effects models were performed to investigate associations between household composition, contact frequency, and social group participation with the number of outpatient visits.
Variables representing the predisposing, the enabling, and the needs factors were controlled.
Results: Results indicated that older adults with more frequent contact with friends showed a greater number of outpatient visits, while there is no difference with the least contact. over the 4-year-period. Older adults who participated in more than two social groups were more likely to utilize outpatient services.
Conclusion: Findings indicated that social networks might work to both promote and compensate for health service use in later life. Implications for the needs for identifying health care needs for isolated older adults are discussed.
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KEYWORD
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older adults, social networks, outpatient visits, mixed-effects model
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