RELATIONSHIP OF HEALTH STATUS, POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS, AND SPECIFIC CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS OF THE FRAIL RURAL ELDERLY TO THE AVAILABILITY/UTILIZATION OF COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE POLICY (ELDERLY).
Contributors: George Mason University.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 128
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Gerontology.
Description: This descriptive research was a secondary analysis of data obtained from the 1984 National Health Interview Survey Supplement on Aging to study the frail rural elderly, 85 and over. The study was designed to determine the relationships of health status, population characteristics, and specific chronic health conditions to availability/utilization of community-based services of the frail rural elderly. Pearson's chi-square statistics were used to test the relationships among selected variables. A chi-square partitioning procedure was computed for the individual columns of availability/utilization. An overall percent of the total chi-square was computed for the individual columns of availability/utilization. A conceptual model and null hypotheses were formulated by the author to propose relationships among the variables.

Findings of the study were the following: (1) Health status, as measured by Activities of Daily Living, showed relationships with the utilization of the community-based services of visiting nurse $(p<.01)$ and home health aide $(p<.01).$ Health status, as measured by Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, showed relationships with the utilization of the community-based services of meals on wheels $(p<.05),$ visiting nurse $(p<.01),$ and home health aide $(p<.01).$ (2) For population characteristics, relationships were with the utilization of community-based services: race with homemaker service $(p<.01);$ marital status with senior centers $(p<.05)$ and transportation $(p<.05);$ relationships and living arrangements with senior centers $(p<.05),$ transportation $(p<.05),$ meals out of the home $(p<.05),$ and visiting nurse $(p<.01);$ and frequency of talking with children with visiting nurse $(p<.01).$ (3) For specific chronic health conditions, relationships were with the utilization of community-based services: generic arthritis with meals on wheels $(p<.05);$ osteoarthritis with transportation $(p<.05)$ and home health aide $(p<.01);$ diabetes with home health aide $(p<.05);$ and stroke/cerebral vascular accident with senior centers $(p<.05)$ and meals out of the home $(p<.05).$.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-02, Section: B, page: 0744.

Thesis (PH.D.)--GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, 1993.

School code: 0883.