Socioeconomic drivers of healthcare utilization among the elderly with reference to working and non-working population: Insights from LASI

Background: The elderly population of India has been escalating exponentially over the past few decades, caused by a decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy. The increase eventually transcended the disease burden on the public healthcare system. Therefore, it becomes crucial to evaluate the healthcare utilisation pattern of the elderly based on their socioeconomic and working condition. Methods: : To measure healthcare utilisation, we have used access to public and private healthcare services. Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to understand utilisation patterns by working status and some selected sociodemographic parameters. All the results were reported at a 95% confidence interval. Results: : We have used the data from the first wave of longitudinal ageing study of India (LASI) with a sample of 22,680 older persons 60 years and above. The study identified that 50 per cent of the working elderly access private service; however, 26 per cent access public healthcare services. It was found that working status of the elderly alone did not influence access to healthcare services, but education is also an essential indicator for utilising healthcare services. Further, factors such as gender, marital status, religion, wealth, tobacco usage, self-rated health, ADL and IADL were significant contributors to utilising healthcare services in the elderly. Conclusion: This study suggests that working status and other sociodemographic indicators are associated with the utilisation of healthcare services, highlighting that increasing health needs among the elderly requires strengthening the quality and appropriate public investment in health.