Timing of Most Recent Health Care Visit by Older People Living With and Without HIV: Findings From the SAGE Well-Being of Older People Study in Uganda. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mugisha, Joseph O.; Schatz, Enid J.; Negin, Joel; Mwaniki, Paul; Kowal, Paul; Seeley, Janet
• Is Part Of: International journal of aging and human development. Volume 85:Number 1(2017)
• Page Start: 18
• Page End: 32
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: African elders -- aging population and health care -- health -- older adults -- formal care; Older people -- Periodicals; Aging -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Aging -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; Aging -- Periodicals; 305.26
• DOI: 10.1177/0091415016680071
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-4150

Abstract

The objective of this article is to document factors associated with the recency of health-care service utilization by people aged 50 years and over living with and without HIV in Uganda. A survey was conducted with 510 Ugandans aged 50 and older, living with and without HIV. The survey included information on sociodemographic characteristics, health state, self-reported chronic conditions, and timing of most recent visit to a health-care facility (time since last visit [TSLV]). We use ordinal logistic regression to identify independent factors associated TSLV. Independent factors associated with TSLV (>6 months) include age, OR = 2.40 [95% CI 1.08–5.37] for those aged 80 years and above, urban respondents, OR = 0.6 [95%CI 0.38–0.94], HIV-positive respondents, OR = 0.33 [95%CI 0.18–0.59], and better health. To understand the meaning of these finding, further investigation should examine (a) how best to define and measure older persons' health-care service needs and (b) older persons' decision-making processes around the timing of their access to health-care facilities.