Factors associated with the preventive healthcare service use among older adults in Korea: Focusing on age variation

Abstract

The importance of preventive health examinations for older adults has been well emphasized due to an increase in chronic diseases associated with age. In this study, we estimated the preventive health examination participation rate and its associated factors among the elderly with specific focuses on the moderating effects between age and socioeconomic status. We used data drawn from the first to sixth waves (4164 people) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging for the elderly aged 65 and over. A generalized linear model was used to address research questions. The results showed that the participation rate decreased as older adults age. The interaction between age and education was also significant, indicating that older adults with higher education were more likely to use a preventive health examination compared to those with lower education. There were no significant interaction effects between income and age. Based on the findings, implications for theory and practice were discussed with specific focuses on age-specific approaches in preventive healthcare services for older adults.