Data from the PASSI d’Argento Surveillance System on Difficulties Met by Older Adults in Accessing Health Services in Italy as Major Risk Factor to Health Outcomes

Benedetta Contoli, Valentina Possenti (), Rosaria Gallo, Valentina Minardi and Maria Masocco
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Benedetta Contoli: National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
Valentina Possenti: National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
Rosaria Gallo: Primary Healthcare Unit, Health District 9, Local Health Unit Roma 2, 00159 Rome, Italy
Valentina Minardi: National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
Maria Masocco: National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-11

Abstract: (1) Age-friendly health systems ensure access to quality healthcare services to all people, especially older adults. (2) We used data on elderly population collected from 2016 to 2019 by the Italian ongoing surveillance system PASSI d’Argento to analyze the prevalence and associations between accessing health services and modifiable risk factors included in the 25 × 25 strategy for the burden of noncommunicable diseases with health outcomes. (3) Chronic diseases and hospitalization as descriptors of health status showed that the elderly perceived as having poor access to care and prevention incurred a higher risk of hospitalization. The association between difficulties in accessing health services and hospitalization was always the highest in terms of the adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR), regardless of the other behavioral risk factors considered, controlling each model with sociodemographic conditions. Elderly hospitalized at least once for two days or more in the last 12 months had greater risk to have problems in accessing health services, whereas the model included health conditions such as obesity (aPR = 1.95 95% CI 1.75–2.17), smoking (aPR = 1.95 95% CI 1.76–2.16), alcohol use (aPR = 1.93 95% CI 1.73–2.14), hypertension (aPR = 1.92 95% CI 1.73–2.13) and diabetes (aPR = 1.91 95% CI 1.73–2.12). (4) Health policies should encompass socio-economic and living environment barriers which prevent access to care among older adults.

Keywords: age-friendly health systems; older adults; surveillance system; health service accessibility; prevention; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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