Health-care utilisation among India’s middle and older aged migrants: scrutinizing the status and predictors using Andersen’s simplified healthcare utilisation framework

Abstract

Purpose

Migration appears to be a determinant in health-care utilisation, particularly among the elderly in India. Ageing and migration are essential socio-demographic phenomena in the 21st century for developing and developed countries to establish better public health-care policies. This study aims to focus on the status and determinants of health-care utilisation among elderly migrants who have migrated after attaining the age of 45 and above.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used the data from the first wave of the longitudinal ageing study in India (LASI) in 2017–2018. Two outcome variables were used to examine the health-care utilisation, including in-patient and out-patient care. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the predictors of healthcare utilisation in terms of in-patient and out-patient care among the elderly migrant population.

Findings

A total of 82.9% of elderly migrants had visited out-patient care when they were sick, whereas 15.3% have used in-patient care. Enabling factors, such as wealth quintile and health insurance, and need factor, such as chronic disease and self-rated health, were more significant factors influencing the health-care utilisation.

Originality/value

This study contributes to our understanding of older migrants’ health-care utilisation. Focussing on this study’s outcome, policymakers and decision makers may consider improving older migrants’ access to health-care by raising their income level, offering local health insurance and health awareness programs.

Citation

Samanta, R., Munda, J., Mandal, S. and Adhikary, M. (2023), "Health-care utilisation among India’s middle and older aged migrants: scrutinizing the status and predictors using Andersen’s simplified healthcare utilisation framework", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 142-156. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-07-2022-0068