Study of Health Services Need of the Elderly According to Residence Characteristics

거주특성에 따른 노인건강요구 조사

Purpose: this study was to compare the health service need according to residence characteristics. Method: The subjects consisted of 194 elderly people classified into two groups of living in community and living in institution. Data was collected from January to March, 2004 by a structured questionnaire that included general characteristics. health related variables, MMSE-K, nutritional status, pain, depression and ADL scale. The collected data was analyzed by the SPSS program including descriptive analysis, $X^2$ test, t-test and Pearsons Correlation Coefficient. Result In general characteristics, there were differences in religions and spouses and all the group of people were aged. In health related variables according to residential characteristics. cognitive level (MMSE-K) of the elderly living in institutions was lower than that of the elderly living in community and the group of living in institutions showed more than 'moderate level' of subjective and relative health perception and their ADL was confirmed to be more dependent. But there was no significant difference among depression, BMI, nutritional status, number of present disease and pain according to residence characteristics. It was identified that pain had) positive correlation with nutritional status. ADL, and the number of present disease, and ADL showed negative correlation with cognitive level. Subjective and relative health perception had positive correlation with depression and negative correlation with nutritional status. In conclusion. the need of the health service of the elderly identified according to residential characteristics showed differences only in cognition and ADL. The elderly living in institutions showed relatively poor results. Conclusion: The concern of nutritional status is necessary to increase health status for the elderly, especially more concern and support is necessary for the elderly living in community.