Chronic Disease Risk Factors and Health Service Use in the Elderly
Author Information
Author(s): Maaten Sarah, Kephart George, Kirkland Susan, Andreou Pantelis
Primary Institution: Dalhousie University
Hypothesis
To examine the association between number and combination of chronic disease risk factors on health service use.
Conclusion
As the number of chronic disease risk factors increased, so did health service use among individuals over age 50, but risk factor combination had no impact.
Supporting Evidence
- Individuals over age 50 with more chronic disease risk factors visited their general practitioner more often.
- The specific combination of risk factors did not significantly affect health service use.
- Health service utilization increased with the number of risk factors only for those aged 50 and older.
Takeaway
Older people who have more health problems visit the doctor more often, but it doesn't matter what specific problems they have.
Methodology
Data from the 1995 Nova Scotia Health Survey was linked to health services databases, and multivariate regression models were used to analyze the data.
Potential Biases
Self-reporting may introduce measurement error, although clinical measurements were used for some variables.
Limitations
The study may have limitations due to the cross-sectional nature of the survey data and self-reported variables.
Participant Demographics
The study included non-institutionalized adults from Nova Scotia, with a focus on individuals aged 50 and older.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
(95% CI)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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