Loneliness and Health Service Utilization among the Rural Elderly in Shandong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Jiao ZhangSu Xie

Abstract

To examine the prevalence of loneliness and to explore the association between loneliness and health service utilization among the rural elderly in Shandong Province, China. A total of 5514 rural people aged 60 and above from Shandong Province, China, were enrolled in this study. Loneliness was used as a binary variable based on a single-item question. Health service utilization was measured by recent two-week physician visits and annual hospitalizations rates. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between loneliness and health service utilization. The prevalence of loneliness among the rural elderly in Shandong, China, was 25.0%. Loneliness was associated with higher rates of recent two-week physician visits (OR = 1.260, p < 0.01) and annual hospitalizations (OR = 1.183, p < 0.05). The regression results also showed that self-rated health status and chronic conditions were significant and positively associated with both physician visits and hospitalizations rates. Loneliness had a significant association with higher odds of health service utilization among the elderly. The independent contribution of loneliness on health service utilization was smaller than self-rated health status and ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 18, 2020·International Journal of Nursing Practice·Asiye KartalAdile Tümer
Apr 4, 2020·International Journal for Quality in Health Care : Journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care·Yu XiaAnan Jiao
May 24, 2019·Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology·Cathrine MihalopoulosLidia Engel
Mar 30, 2020·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Sida XiYing Wang
Dec 18, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Yali WangYaozu Li
Jan 16, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Xiang JingYaozu Li
Oct 31, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Zhaorong GaoZhuang Hong
Sep 29, 2021·Health Psychology Review·Fuschia M Sirois, Janine Owens
Nov 4, 2021·International Journal of Aging & Human Development·Xi PanNicholas Joseph Bishop

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