Outpatient visits and hospitalizations and their associates among community-dwelling older adults in China: 2018

  Objective  To investigate the status and influencing factors of outpatient visits and hospitalizations among community older residents in China for providing evidences to the improvement of medical healthcare in elderly populations.

  Methods  The data on 17 985 community-dwelling people aged 60 years and over in six provincial level regions (Beijing, Shanghai, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) across China were extracted from the Prevention and Intervention on Neurodegenerative Disease for Elderly in China (PINDEC) conducted during July – October, 2018. The outpatient visits and hospitalizations of the residents during past one year and their impact factors were analyzed.

  Results  Of all participants during past one year, 9 073 had outpatient visits, with a complex weighted outpatient visit rate of 48.3%; 3 799 had hospitalizations and the complex weighted hospitalization rate was 23.2%. The results of multivariate unconditional logistic regression analyses indicated that aged 70 – 79 years, participating in social activities, suffering from two or more chronic diseases, with depression symptoms or movement disorders were risk factors for outpatient visits; while with monthly personal income of 1 000 – 2 999 RMB yuan, having frequent communication with neighbors, being capable of web surfing, and residing in Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan or Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were protective factors; the results also revealed that the risk factors for hospitalization in past one year included aged 70 – 79 years, residing in Yunnan, participating in social activities, suffering from two or more chronic diseases, and with depression symptoms or movement disorders and the two significant protective factors were with salary as main income source and having frequent communication with neighbors.

  Conclusion  Among community elderly residents in China, both outpatient visit and hospitalization are at a high level generally and mainly influenced by age, average monthly income, major source of income, residing region, communication with neighbors, participation in social activities, internet access, multimorbidity of chronic diseases, depression symptom, and movement disorder.