Table 1Descriptive characteristics of the sample (N = 3,175).
Variables |
N (%) |
Mean (± SD) |
Predisposing |
|
Age group (y) |
|
73.9 (±6.7) |
65–74 |
1,457 (45.89) |
|
75+ |
1,718 (54.11) |
|
|
Sex |
Male |
391 (12.31) |
|
Female |
2,784 (87.69) |
|
|
Education |
No schooling |
739 (23.28) |
|
Primary/middle schooling |
1,912 (60.22) |
|
High schooling + |
524 (16.50) |
|
|
Marital status |
|
|
Married |
1,742 (54.87) |
|
Others |
1,433 (45.13) |
|
|
Need |
|
Health status |
|
|
Poor |
1,430 (47.21) |
|
Fair + |
1,599 (52.79) |
|
|
Disability |
Yes |
746 (23.50) |
|
No |
2,429 (76.50) |
|
|
Enabling |
Income (10,000 won) |
|
493.7 (±159.8) |
0 |
2,513 (47.97) |
|
1–2,000 |
989 (31.15) |
|
2,000 + |
663 (20.88) |
|
|
Residence |
Capital area |
1,107 (34.87) |
|
Non-capital area |
2,068 (65.13) |
|
Table 2Percentage of those who used emergency services by each variable.
Study variables |
Emergency care utilization |
% |
χ2
|
Predisposing |
|
Age (y) |
|
8.75*
|
65–74 |
28.28 |
|
75+ |
37.51 |
|
|
Sex |
|
164.73*
|
Male |
11.65 |
|
Female |
54.14 |
|
|
Education |
|
16.38*
|
No schooling |
13.92 |
|
Primary/middle schooling |
40.47 |
|
High schooling †
|
11.40 |
|
|
Marital status |
|
217.45*
|
Married |
29.92 |
|
Others |
35.87 |
|
|
Need |
|
Self-perceived health status |
|
149.27*
|
Poor |
25.49 |
|
Fair †
|
39.68 |
|
|
Disability |
|
21.18*
|
Yes |
17.10 |
|
No |
48.69 |
|
|
Enabling |
|
Income (10,000 won) |
|
122.43*
|
0 |
36.09 |
|
1–2,000 |
18.96 |
|
2,000 †
|
10.74 |
|
|
Residence |
|
9.68*
|
Capital area |
24.19 |
|
Non-capital area |
41.61 |
|
Table 3Multivariate logistic regression analysis of predictors of emergency care utilization for Korean elders.
Determinants |
Emergency care utilization |
|
Stage 1 |
Stage 2 |
Stage 3 |
|
|
|
Odds ratio (95% CI) |
p
|
Odds ratio (95% CI) |
p
|
Odds ratio (95% CI) |
p
|
Predisposing |
|
Age group (y) |
|
|
|
|
|
< 0.01 |
65–74 |
1.49 (1.37–1.61) |
< 0.01 |
1.59 (1.46–1.73) |
< 0.01 |
1.58 (1.46–1.72) |
|
75+ |
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
|
Sex |
|
|
|
|
|
< 0.01 |
Male |
0.76 (0.70–0.83) |
< 0.01 |
0.78 (0.71–0.85) |
< 0.01 |
0.77 (0.70–0.84) |
|
Female |
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
|
Education |
|
|
|
|
|
0.116 |
Primary schooling *
|
0.31 (0.28–0.35) |
< 0.01 |
0.90 (0.80–1.00) |
0.057 |
0.91 (0.81–1.02) |
|
No schooling |
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
|
Marital status |
|
|
|
|
|
< 0.05 |
Married |
0.98 (0.89–1.07) |
0.604 |
1.20 (1.09–1.31) |
< 0.01 |
1.21 (1.10–1.32) |
|
Others |
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
|
Need |
|
Self-perceived health status |
|
|
|
|
|
< 0.01 |
Poor |
|
|
2.45 (2.26–2.65) |
< 0.01 |
2.46 (2.26–2.66) |
|
Fair *
|
|
|
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
|
Disability |
|
|
|
|
|
< 0.01 |
Yes |
|
|
1.39 (1.27–1.54) |
< 0.01 |
1.39 (1.26–1.53) |
|
No |
|
|
ref. |
|
ref. |
|
|
Enabling |
|
Income (10,000 won) †
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.611 |
0–20 |
|
|
|
|
0.98 (0.88–1.08) |
|
20 + |
|
|
|
|
ref. |
|
|
Residence |
|
|
|
|
|
< 0.01 |
Capital area |
|
|
|
|
0.87 (0.80–0.94) |
|
Non-capital area |
|
|
|
|
ref. |
|
|
Model chi-square |
770.43 |
|
805.33 |
|
816.71 |
|
|
Degrees of freedom |
4 |
|
6 |
|
8 |
|
|
Significance |
< 0.0001 |
|
< 0.0001 |
|
< 0.0001 |
|