Abstract
Health care utilization is a critical aspect reflecting the effectiveness and accessibility of services, shaped by factors such as proximity, waiting times, privacy, affordability, and treatment efficacy. To delve into this realm, a community-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken, focusing on the geriatric population. Employing a multi-stage random sampling technique, 350 individuals aged 60 years and above were selected from two Community Development Blocks in Kamrup district, Assam. Data collection involved a structured interview schedule, incorporating socio-demographic profiles through Pareek and Trivedi’s socio-economic Rural scale and an additional 25 items to assess health care service utilization among the elderly. The results highlighted a higher percentage of females (61.28%) compared to males (48.63%), with a significant portion being widows, illiterate, and unemployed. Socio-economic class-IV accounted for the majority (62.57%) of the participants. Notably, 65.71% of the elderly moderately utilized health care services, while 24.57% inadequately accessed them. Marital status, family type, occupation, and socio-economic class exhibited varying impacts on health care service utilization. The study underscores the pressing need to enhance the overall well-being of rural elderly individuals. Proposing community-based geriatric health care services, leveraging existing rural health infrastructure, emerges as a viable solution to address the needs of this demographic group.
Keywords: BPL families, Elderly, Geriatric population, Literacy, Usage of medical services.