title: A national survey of health-service use in Thai elders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the pattern of health-service use and associated factors among elderly people in Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional multi-stage random sampling household survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  4480 People aged 60 and over.
  
  
  METHODS
  Responses to illness among elderly Thai subjects and health-service utilization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1954 elderly Thai subjects who reported that they had had an illness without hospitalization during the last month, 93% had sought treatment and 7% did nothing. Just over a half (52.8%) used health services. Subjects who had self-limiting symptoms or diseases tended to not use health services, while subjects with chronic conditions did. Sixty-two percent paid for treatment themselves while 28% of them had their bills paid by their children. Independent determinants of health-service use included living in a rural area, being well-educated and better off, not drinking alcohol and the severity of illness identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a low rate of state health-service use. Children had an important role in taking care of parents.
authors: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Jitapunkul
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Na Songkhla
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Chayovan
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Chirawatkul
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Choprapawon
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Kachondham
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Buasai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000639:trends*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D013785:Thailand