Healthcare utilisation among elderly in Malaysia: The mediating role of health literacy.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the sociodemographic characteristics of the older persons and healthcare utilisation is well established. However, the process underlying this relationship is poorly understood particularly in the Malaysian context. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April in 2016 to examine the mediating effect of health literacy on the relationship between age and healthcare utilisation. A total of 452 older persons were recruited from 14 public hospitals in Malaysia. RESULTS: The average age of the respondents was 66.69 years old, with an age range between 60 to 105 years. The findings reveal that the relationship between age and healthcare utilisation was mediated by health literacy. CONCLUSION: The results help to improve the understanding of healthcare utilisation among the older persons in Malaysia, which is beneficial to the healthcare provider and policymakers.