Gender difference in the association of frailty and health care utilization among Chinese older adults: results from a population-based study.
BACKGROUND
Frailty is a public health concern in the ageing population. Little is known about the role of gender in the relationship between frailty and health care utilization in older adults.


AIMS
The study aims to examine gender differences in the association between different frailty status and health care utilization among Chinese older people.


METHODS
A total of 7070 older adults (60+) from Shandong Province, China, were enrolled in this study. Frailty was assessed by frailty index constructed using 45 health deficits. Multivariate logistic regression models were employed separately for men and women to examine the impact of frailty on self-care, outpatient, and inpatient utilization.


RESULTS
Overall, the prevalence of frailty was 7.9% in older adults, with 7.1% and 8.3% in men and women, respectively. 49.4% respondents reported they had self-care in the previous 2 weeks, and women were more likely to have self-care than men. Being pre-frail and frail was significantly associated with utilization of all types of health care among older men and women, and the relationship was stronger in the frail groups than that in the pre-frail groups except for self-care. Respective odds ratios for outpatient utilization were higher in men than that in women.


CONCLUSIONS
Frailty is a frequent condition in Chinese older adults. The association between frailty and health care utilization (except outpatient) tended to be stronger in women than men. The gender differences should be considered when designing the preventing or delaying the installation of frailty and geriatric care plans.
['Zhang|Jiao|J|', 'Xu|Lingzhong|L|http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5068-4012', 'Sun|Long|L|', 'Li|Jiajia|J|', 'Qin|Wenzhe|W|']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D002681:China D005260:Female D016330:Frail Elderly D000073496:Frailty D015577:Geriatric Assessment D006801:Humans D008297:Male D016017:Odds Ratio D012737:Sex Factors
Gender Frailty Health care utilization Older adults China