Socioeconomic determinants of healthcare-seeking behavior among older people in South India: A mixed method study

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND: Population aging is a global phenomenon happening at a fast pace in low and middle-income countries. About 8.2% of India’s population is older and is projected to reach 12.4% by 2026. As such by studying the morbidity pattern and healthcare-seeking behavior, their preferences can be known and will help provide better healthcare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To study the morbidity profile and factors affecting the healthcare-seeking behavior of the geriatric population in Udupi taluk, a community-based cross-sectional study following mixed methods was conducted. People aged 60 and above were selected using two-stage sampling for quantitative data collection and purposive sampling is used for the qualitative method of data collection. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from 356 subjects and 10 in-depth interviews were conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using a Univariate technique and thematic analysis was done for qualitative RESULTS: Out of 356, subjects 53% were females, 75% were in the age group of 60–75 years, the the majority were literate. Hypertension (67.7%) was the commonest ailment followed by hyperlipidemia (54.2%) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (52.8%). Most (88.8%) of the participants suffered from one or more morbidities. The majority preferred private facilities for seeking healthcare treatment. Awareness regarding health schemes was found to be poor. CONCLUSION: The study reveals that among older people, there is a lack of awareness regarding health schemes and healthcare options, leading to suboptimal health-seeking behavior. Additionally, financial dependency poses a significant barrier, restricting their access to private healthcare and reinforcing their reliance on public healthcare facilities. This leads to an increased burden on public healthcare systems, which are already struggling with limited resources. It is therefore imperative to create awareness among older people about various healthcare options and schemes available to them.