Patterns of illness behavior among rural elderly: preliminary results of a health diary study.
This paper summarizes the responses of rural elderly people to a variety of symptoms experienced during a three-week period. Responses to symptoms included causal attributions, consultation patterns, and intervention strategies. Data recorded in diaries during a three-week period highlight the importance of lay care in the illnesses of older people. Most symptoms were managed by older respondents themselves. When symptoms were discussed with someone else, the consultant was most likely a family member or friend rather than a health care professional. Only one third of the respondents contacted any formal provider about any of their symptoms. The majority of respondents combined medical and nonmedical explanations in interpreting their symptoms. The most frequent response to a symptom was doing nothing. The next two most commonly reported interventions were over-the-counter medications and activity limitation. Analyses revealed few differences among residential categories in patterns of illness behavior. Rural-urban differences often disappeared when controlling for demographic and socioeconomic background which covary with residence.
Stoller
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Department of Sociology, Plattsburgh State University of New York 12901.
Forster
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D000368:Aged; D004282:Documentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009518:New York; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012648:Self Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012803:Sick Role; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data