Demography, Socioeconomic Status and Health Services Utilisation among Older Ghanaians: Implications for Health Policy

Abstract

Although socioeconomic status (SES) has long been linked with health services utilisation, the associations of demographic factors and SES, and multiple healthcare options in later life remain unclear. This paper utilised a large and representative dataset from a 2016/17 Ageing, Health, Psychological Wellbeing and Health-seeking Behaviour Study (AHPWHB) to examine the effects of multilevel SES and demographic inequalities in health-seeking behaviour among a community sample of Ghanaians aged 50 years or older. Multiple logistic models estimated gendered-stratified SES effects on utilisation of various healthcare options, including formal healthcare, traditional medicine and self-care. Interestingly, urban living decreased the odds of formal healthcare use but increased self-care across genders. Married women were less likely to utilise formal and traditional healthcare but married men predominantly accessed formal healthcare. Age, education and health insurance independently predicted utilisation of differing healthcare types. Information on SES inequalities including geographical variations, marital status and gendered perspective appears to be useful in planning health and delivery strategies for older persons.