Dataset Information

Descriptions of self-treatment for the middle-aged and elderly in Shanxi, China.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Self-treatment is a widespread practice among patients with common symptoms and ailments; it is necessary to explore multiple aspects of it. Notably, there is little research into self-treatment among middle-aged and elderly people, who are more likely to fall ill. Our goals are to provide a comprehensive description of self-treatment and explore associated factors with insurance utilization and expenditures among the middle-aged and elderly populations in China.

Methods

A survey was conducted in July 2016 in Shanxi, China. A stratified sampling scheme was applied to achieve representativeness. A total of 972 subjects were surveyed. Descriptive statistics, t- and Chi-squared tests, multivariate logistic regression, and multivariate linear regression were utilized.

Results

In our study, 772 (79.4%) of the surveyed subjects self-treated during the previous twelve months. Among them, 253 (32.8%) used health insurance. Subjects' characteristics were associated with insurance utilization and expenditures for self-treatment. Total cost was positively associated with insurance utilization. The subjects with a junior high education (p-value < 0.001, aOR = 0.049) and senior high education (p-value = 0.020, aOR = 0.146) had a lower probability of using insurance. For both total costs and out-of-pocket costs, subjects who were 51 to 60 years old had lower costs. The subjects who were seriously sick and had a primary school education, as well as enterprise occupations, had higher costs. Self-treatment times were also positively associated with costs. Finally, it was found that subjects who didn't use insurance had lower total costs.

Conclusions

The prevalence of self-treatment was high (79.4%). Some characteristics were associated with insurance utilization and expenditures in self-treatment. Our results may be helpful for policy interventions, which are needed to further improve the effectiveness of health insurance in China.

SUBMITTER: Wang R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5995374 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Descriptions of self-treatment for the middle-aged and elderly in Shanxi, China.

Wang Rui R Ma Chenjin C Jiang Kun K Li Ming M Ma Shuangge S

PloS one 20180611 6

<h4>Objectives</h4>Self-treatment is a widespread practice among patients with common symptoms and ailments; it is necessary to explore multiple aspects of it. Notably, there is little research into self-treatment among middle-aged and elderly people, who are more likely to fall ill. Our goals are to provide a comprehensive description of self-treatment and explore associated factors with insurance utilization and expenditures among the middle-aged and elderly populations in China.<h4>Methods</h ...[more]

PMID: 29889852

Similar Datasets

Project description:The present study was conducted to investigate the possible association between gut microbes and immunity among healthy middle-aged and elderly individuals in southwest China. A total of 148 healthy adults aged ? 50 years were divided into two age groups: middle-aged group (50-59 years; n = 67, 54.13 ± 3.32) and elderly group (? 60 years; n = 81, 64.70 ± 3.93). Blood samples were collected to measure serum immune and biochemical indices. Gut microbiota compositions of the groups were characterized on the basis of faecal DNA using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Among the detected gut microbes, the presence of Alistipes was negatively correlated with age in both groups. In the middle-aged group, age was negatively correlated with the presence of Desulfovibrio and Faecalibacterium. In the elderly group, Coprococcus was present at significantly higher levels; age was negatively correlated with the presence of Lachnobacterium, Oxalobacter and the Chao index, whereas positively correlated with the presence of Sutterella. In the middle-aged group, the presence of Bacteroidetes was positively correlated with serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels and the percent of CD8+ T cells and negatively correlated with the CD4+/CD8+ ratio; the presence of Firmicutes was negatively correlated with IgM levels; Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio was positively correlated with IgG and IgM levels and Simpson index was negatively correlated with the percent of CD8+ T cells and positively correlated with CD4+/CD8+ ratio. In the elderly group, the presence of Verrucomicrobia (identified as genus Akkermansia) was positively correlated with IgA levels and the percent of CD8+ T cells and negatively correlated with the percent of CD4+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio; the Chao index and observed species were positively correlated with IgA levels.These results indicated that ageing could significantly correlate with the composition of gut microbiota in terms of quantity and quality. Changes in gut microbiota caused by ageing, characterized by decreased Bacteroidetes levels, might be associated with immunosenescence among healthy middle-aged and elderly people in southwest China.

Dataset Information

Descriptions of self-treatment for the middle-aged and elderly in Shanxi, China.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Descriptions of self-treatment for the middle-aged and elderly in Shanxi, China.

Similar Datasets

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