title: [Comparing the Health Needs of Older Aboriginal and Older Ethnic Chinese Individuals in Taiwan].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Providing healthcare to older people is an essential policy in Taiwan. Previous studies have assessed the health needs of older people residing in urban areas. Evidence related to the differences in healthcare needs between older aboriginal and older ethnic Chinese people in Taiwan is insufficient. As both groups exhibit mutually distinct physical and socio-cultural attributes, understanding their different health needs is necessary to provide tailored and effective healthcare.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the distinct health needs of older aboriginal and older ethnic Chinese using a comprehensive health-needs assessment tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study design was used. Older people aged 65 or over were proportionally sampled from communities. The Elderly Assessment System Care Standard instrument was used to collect data through interviews held in participant homes or in community activity centers between October 20th and December 20th, 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 180 older people were recruited. A majority of participants had at least one chronic disease, disability, or frailty. Across a range of dimensions and categories of health needs, older aboriginal people had statistically significant higher health needs than non-aboriginal ones. However, older ethnic Chinese participants had higher levels of need in the domains of housing/financing and social participation/isolation. Regression analysis found that independence, risk of frailty, and risk of falls explained the majority of health needs, with R2 values of 64% and 69.6% for older aboriginal and older ethnic Chinese participants, respectively. However, the respective impact of these three categories on overall health needs varied between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our findings, healthcare providers should focus on improving the self-care capabilities of older aboriginal people and on reducing the risk of breakdowns in care for older ethnic Chinese people in order to enhance the quality of elderly care in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: PhD, RN, Associate Professor and Director, Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC. lllee@ems.tcust.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: BSN, RN, Community Health Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Shu-Shuan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Public Health, Tzu Chi University, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chia-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: MSN, RN, Lecturer, Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Jui-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: community older people; health needs assessment; independent needs; risk of falls; risk of frailty