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Shon H, Harada N. Differences in predisposing, enabling, and need factors among three types of elderly male veteran outpatient service users. Paper presented at: University of California Los Angeles Research Conference on Ageing Annual Meeting; 2000 Jun 1; Los Angeles, CA.
Objective: To describe and identify predisposing, enabling, and need factors that are predictive of outpatient service use among elderly male veterans using Andersen's Behavioral Model as the theoretical framework. Outpatient service use was classified as VA users, non-VA users, and VA/non-VA 'cross-users.' Methods: The source of data was the 1992 National Survey of Veterans (NSV). Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted on predisposing (age, marital status), enabling (education, income, health insurance), and need (ADL, IADL, self-perceived health status, and total number of diagnosed medical conditions) by outpatient user type. Logistic regression analysis was conducted with any use of VA outpatient care services as the dependent variable. Outcomes: Statistically significant differences were found in predisposing (marital status), all enabling, and all need factors by outpatient user type. VA-only and cross-users were of lower socioeconomic status, had fewer health insurance options, and of lower functioning and health status than non-VA users. Health insurance and income were predictive of VA outpatient use. Conclusions: VA/non-VA cross-users were more similar to VA users than to non-VA users in terms of predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Although the vast majority of this sample possesses Medicare parts A and B, those with more need and fewer resources choose the VA for outpatient services.
