title: Race, gender, and the effect of social supports on the use of health services by elderly individuals.
abstract: This study examines the effects of social supports on the use of health services by elderly individuals, and whether those effects differ by race or gender. Multiple regression analysis of the 5,151 baseline Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA) respondents revealed that social supports, mainly church attendance, increased the R2s when estimated separately within race and gender groups in a statistically significant manner. The magnitude of these increases, however, was small suggesting that their unique contribution may be minimal. The effects of the social support variables on the use of health services differed by race and gender. These differences, however, were not consistent across the various measures of health services utilization.
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M University.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015438:Health Behavior; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data