Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing 1999;1(2):172-180.

보건소 이용 노인의 미충족 의료요구

김정희, 김영숙, 김명순

Abstract

This study examines the unmet medical care needs and their determinants of the elderly who use the public health center located in the city. Secondary analysis was done using the data collected in 1996 from 356 elderly, 60 years or older, living in the community. The data were analyzed by x² test and the multiple logistic regression. Of the subjects, 29.5% had the unmet needs. Joint problem of the lower extremities was the most prevalent symptoms/ illnesses of the unmet needs, followed by rheumatoid arthritis. As for the unmet examinations/treatments, physical therapy was the most prevalent, followed by health examination and dentures. Analysis of the logistic regression mode] revealed subjective physical health as the most important predictor for having an unmet need. Compared to those with "good" subjective physical health, those with "bad," or "very bad" health tend to have an unmet need. The odds of the unmet needs for the old-old decreased by 51.9% compared to the odds of the young-old, which was partly attributed to under-representation of disabled old people. Those with difficulties in subjective economic status tend to have an unmet need. These results suggest the need for delivering medical services to the low- income elderly. Particular attention should be given to providing dentures and to managing chronic degenerative disease.

Key words: 지역사회노인, 미충족 의료요구, 보건소