Morbidity Prevalence and Health Care Utilization Among Older Adults in India

Abstract

India is experiencing accelerated demographic transition. The country will face the challenge of dealing with problem of population aging in the coming decades. Amidst socioeconomic consequences, health risks among older adults are rising rapidly especially on account of noncommunicable diseases. Given such background, this study assesses the pattern of disease burden, health care utilization, and their covariates for older adults in two selected states based on the 60th round of National Sample Survey (NSSO) data. The states in focus are Maharashtra, the state ahead in demographic transition, and Uttar Pradesh, the state lagging in this process. Correspondingly, the overall prevalence of noncommunicable diseases is higher in Maharashtra compared with Uttar Pradesh. Multivariate logistic regression estimates further show that both the morbidity and health care utilization rates are increasing among older adults. At the same time, substantial disparities are demonstrated in the pattern of morbidity prevalence and health care utilization among older persons by demographic and socioeconomic factors and between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.