Preventive care service usage among Chinese older adults in the Greater Chicago area

Preventive care is important for reducing morbidity and mortality among the elderly, but racial/ethnic disparities exist in use of preventive care services. We aimed to develop a better understanding of preventive care service utilization among Chinese older adults in the Greater Chicago area.

We used data collected from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago study, a population-based survey of 3,159 community-dwelling Chinese older adults in the Greater Chicago area. Preventive care services assessed include use of flu, pneumonia, and hepatitis B vaccines as well as colon, breast, cervical and prostate cancer screening. We also examined sociodemographic, health and quality of life correlates for preventive care service use.

We found that although Chinese older adults had lower utilization rates for the pneumonia vaccine and cancer screening, their utilization of the flu shot was consistent with national utilization rates. No sociodemographic, self-reported health, or quality of life characteristics were associated with all nine of the preventive care services.

Use of preventive care services except flu vaccination was low among Chinese older adults in the Greater Chicago area. However, future longitudinal studies may be necessary to further elucidate preventive care service utilization patterns among Chinese older adults.