Health Policy Manag.  2022 Mar;32(1):29-44. 10.4332/KJHPA.2022.32.1.29.

Effect of Usual Source of Care on Health Behavior of the Middle Aged and the Elderly

• Yun S
• Song Y
• Kwon S

• KMID: 2534947
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2022.32.1.29

Abstract

Background
This study was conducted to analyze the impact of having a usual source of care on health behaviors of the middle aged and the elderly, in order to investigate the potential effect of enhancing primary health care in a Korean context.
Methods
This study constructed a balanced panel of middle-aged and elderly samples using the Korea Health Panel 2016–2018, and fixed-effect models were used to analyze the data.
Results
Among three sets of dependent variables (physical activity, smoking, drinking), statistically significant results were found only in physical activity. Subgroup analysis showed that this effect was not observed in the late elderly (aged 75 and older) and those without chronic diseases.
Conclusion
Results of the study implied that enhancing primary health care among middle age and the elderly may have an effect on improving health behaviors. Moving forward to person-centered primary health care from disease-focused primary health care should be considered in high-risk groups such as the middle aged and the elderly with chronic diseases.

Keyword

Primary health care; Usual source of care; Health behavior; Fixed effect model