Functional Limitation and Medical Care Utilization among the Community- dwelling Elderly

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The rapidly expanding proportion of the population aged 65 years and older is anticipated to have a profound effect on health care services and expenditures. This study sought to determine the relationship between functional limitation and health care utilization in older adults. METHOD: The data analyzed for this study is obtained from Seoul Health Survey published in 2001 by Korean Institution of Health and Social Affairs. The total number of community-welling persons aged 65 year and over is 4,293. RESULTS: Multiple regression suggested that functional limitation was significant associated factor of medical utilization in both inpatient and outpatient among the elderly. After adjusting for the effect of potential covariates, such as age, sex, educational level, marital status, chronic disease and recent accidents, IADL disability was associated with increase using outpatient(aOR=2.20 95% CI=1.72-2.81) and inpatient(aOR=2.82 95% CI=2.03-3.93) compare with independent group. ADL disability was associated with a low utilization of outpatient(aOR=0.64 95% CI=0.46-0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Functional limitation is independently associated with health care utilization in community-dwelling older persons.