Receipt of preventive services by elders based on composite measures, 1997-2004

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Gerontology

Background:

• Routine vaccinations and cancer screenings are tracked separately, hindering population-level protection assessment.
• Current monitoring methods do not capture the combined impact of preventive health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess trends in the uptake of key preventive services among older adults in the U.S.
• To evaluate the prevalence of being up-to-date on colorectal cancer screening, influenza vaccination, and pneumococcal vaccination for men and women aged 65+.
• To examine disparities in preventive service receipt based on demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) telephone surveys conducted in 1997, 2002, and 2004.
• Included a nationally representative sample of adults aged 65 and older from 49 states and Washington D.C.
• Analyzed statistically significant changes (p <0.05) in a composite measure of preventive service completion.

Main Results:

• The proportion of men up-to-date on all recommended services increased from 24.4% (1997) to 41.0% (2004).
• The proportion of women up-to-date on all recommended services increased from 18.6% (1997) to 32.5% (2004).
• Receipt of services varied significantly by education, race/ethnicity, marital status, insurance, and presence of a personal doctor.

Conclusions:

• Despite observed increases, a significant gap remains in the uptake of recommended preventive services among U.S. older adults.
• In 2004, approximately 60% of men and 70% of women aged 65+ were not up-to-date on key vaccinations and cancer screenings.
• Targeted interventions are needed to improve adherence to preventive care guidelines in this demographic.