Factors Associated with the Need for Assistance among the Elderly in Malaysia

Nazarudin Safian, Shamsul Azhar Shah, Juliana Mansor, Zulkefley Mohammad, Siti Rohani Nurumal, Wan Abdul Hannan Wan Ibadullah, Saharuddin Ahmad and Yugo Shobugawa
Additional contact information
Nazarudin Safian: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Shamsul Azhar Shah: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Juliana Mansor: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Zulkefley Mohammad: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Siti Rohani Nurumal: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Wan Abdul Hannan Wan Ibadullah: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Saharuddin Ahmad: Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Yugo Shobugawa: Division of International Health (Public Health), Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 950-2181, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: The need for assistance among the elderly is rising, which poses challenges for healthcare systems. Thus, this study aims to determine the factors associated with the need for assistance in the daily living activities of Malaysia’s elderly population. A total of 1204 elderly individuals, aged 60 years and above, were recruited. An interview was conducted using the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES-BM) questionnaire. Overall, 7.7% of the elderly participants required assistance. A logistic regression model showed that difficult financial statuses (aOR 4.56), hearing difficulties (aOR 1.78), and severe limitations in daily activity over the past 6 months (aOR 11.99) were associated with a higher likelihood of needing assistance. In addition, daily activities such as an inability to feed (aOR 8.46), stand without support (aOR 2.06), or walk for 15 min without stopping (aOR 1.99) were significantly associated with the need for assistance. Factors associated with the need for assistance are health status, disability, and the financial status of the elderly. Preventive measures should be included in policies to ensure the sustainability of the care provided to the elderly in terms of promoting healthy ageing and a good quality of life.

Keywords: nursing care; need of assistance; elderly; old age (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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