A national survey of health-service use in Thai elders

To examine the pattern of health-service use and associated factors among elderly people in Thailand.

A cross-sectional multi-stage random sampling household survey.

4480 People aged 60 and over.

Responses to illness among elderly Thai subjects and health-service utilization.

Of 1954 elderly Thai subjects who reported that they had had an illness without hospitalization during the last month, 93% had sought treatment and 7% did nothing. Just over a half (52.8%) used health services. Subjects who had self-limiting symptoms or diseases tended to not use health services, while subjects with chronic conditions did. Sixty-two percent paid for treatment themselves while 28% of them had their bills paid by their children. Independent determinants of health-service use included living in a rural area, being well-educated and better off, not drinking alcohol and the severity of illness identified.

We found a low rate of state health-service use. Children had an important role in taking care of parents.