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Gender differences in factors affecting use of health services: an analysis of a community study of middle-aged and older Australians

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  • Parslow, Ruth
  • Jorm, Anthony
  • Christensen, Helen
  • Jacomb, Patricia
  • Rodgers, Bryan

Abstract

Research on patterns of self-rated health and health service use suggests that women report having poorer health than men, and that, after controlling for health measures, women are more likely to obtain formal health care. Proposed reasons for these differences have included that women's self-rated health is more strongly influenced by psychosocial factors or negative affect and that women are likely to obtain services when at better levels of self-rated health, compared with men. Our study explored gender differences in the effects of non-health attributes on decisions to obtain primary medical services for an Australian community-based sample of 4140 adults from two age groups: 40-44 years and 60-64 years. Participants provided information on measures of physical and mental health, and on predisposing and enabling factors that could affect their levels of health service use. Information on visits made to general practitioners (GPs) in a 6-month period was obtained from the national insurer. We found that men and women who obtained no GP services reported comparable levels of physical and mental health and that, for both men and women, measures of health needs were most strongly associated with their obtaining care. After controlling for measures of mental and physical health and enabling factors, we found that non-health factors that could predispose an individual to obtain care had greater impact on men's but not women's decisions to obtain any GP services. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that in choosing to obtain medical care, women are more strongly influenced by non-health factors compared with men.

Suggested Citation

  • Parslow, Ruth & Jorm, Anthony & Christensen, Helen & Jacomb, Patricia & Rodgers, Bryan, 2004. "Gender differences in factors affecting use of health services: an analysis of a community study of middle-aged and older Australians," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(10), pages 2121-2129, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:59:y:2004:i:10:p:2121-2129
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Janko Janković & Sladjana Šiljak & Miloš Erić & Jelena Marinković & Slavenka Janković, 2018. "Inequalities in the utilization of health care services in a transition European country: results from the national population health survey," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(2), pages 261-272, March.
    2. Gail Pacheco & Dom Page & Don Webber, 2012. "Mental and physical health: reconceptualising the relationship with employment propensity," Working Papers 20121206, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    3. Ford, Julian D. & Trestman, Robert L. & Tennen, Howard & Allen, Scott, 2005. "Relationship of anxiety, depression and alcohol use disorders to persistent high utilization and potentially problematic under-utilization of primary medical care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(7), pages 1618-1625, October.
    4. Gail Pacheco & Don J. Webber, 2011. "Employment propensity: The roles of mental and physical health," Working Papers 2011-01, Auckland University of Technology, Department of Economics.
    5. Jatrana, Santosh & Crampton, Peter, 2009. "Primary health care in New Zealand: Who has access?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 1-10, November.
    6. Tao Zhang & Jing Liu & Chaojie Liu, 2019. "Changes in Perceived Accessibility to Healthcare from the Elderly between 2005 and 2014 in China: An Oaxaca–Blinder Decomposition Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-12, October.
    7. Galdas, Paul M. & Johnson, Joy L. & Percy, Myra E. & Ratner, Pamela A., 2010. "Help seeking for cardiac symptoms: Beyond the masculine-feminine binary," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 18-24, July.
    8. McPhedran, Samara & Baker, Jeanine, 2008. "Recent Australian suicide trends for males and females at the national level: Has the rate of decline differed?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(3), pages 350-358, September.
    9. Koopmans, Gerrit T. & Lamers, Leida M., 2007. "Gender and health care utilization: The role of mental distress and help-seeking propensity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(6), pages 1216-1230, March.

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