Prevalence and Associated Factors of Self-Treatment among the Elderly-A Comparative Study between Empty and Non-Empty Nesters in Shandong, China

(1) Objectives: With an aging society in China, self-treatment now plays an important role in health care among older adults, but it can be problematic. This study aims to explore and compare the self-treatment behavior among empty and non-empty nesters. (2) Methods: Using a multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method, a total of 4366 elderly people aged 60 and above from Shandong Province, China, were enrolled in this study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the associated factors of self-treatment. (3) Results: The prevalence of self-treatment in empty nesters was significantly lower than that in non-empty ones (74.0% vs. 83.3%). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that higher educational level and poorer self-rated economic status were negatively associated with self-treatment in empty nesters, while unemployed and urban and rural residents' basic medical insurance were positively associated with self-treatment in non-empty ones. (4) Conclusions: The study indicated that empty nesters had lower likelihood of self-treatment than non-empty ones. Empty nesters with better socioeconomic status were more likely to use self-treatment; by contrast, non-empty nesters with relatively poorer socioeconomic status were more inclined to self-treatment. Targeted interventions should be developed to maximize the effectiveness of self-treatment and reduce health risks.