Background
Korea has envisioned an expansion of health and social welfare services for the elderly through community-based care. Accordingly, senior citizen centers are in operation.
Objective
This study aimed to assess the influence of socio-demographic factors, life satisfaction, and health status on the utilization of senior citizen centers by elderly Koreans.
Methods
A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using secondary data from the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans. Descriptive statistics were used to determine utilization patterns; and chi-square test, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted at a 5% significance level to determine the factors associated with senior citizen center utilization.
Result
Of 10,299 elderly people, 21.7% were aged 80 or above, and 22.7% had visited a senior citizen centers in the past 12 months. The most common reasons for visiting was the desire for company, and more than 95% of the subjects were satisfied with the services provided. Regarding socio-demographic factors, those who were female (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) =1.20), older (AOR=3.94 for ≥80 years), illiterate (AOR=5.27), less educated, or from eup meon bu (AOR=6.42) were most likely to use senior citizen centers. Regarding the life satisfaction, those who experienced financial satisfaction (AOR=1.21), satisfaction with culture (AOR=1.49), and satisfaction with friends and society (AOR=4.24) had the higher odds of senior citizen center utilization. Higher odds of the senior citizen center utilization were observed for the elderly diagnosed with multiple diseases as compared to those who were disease free.
Conclusion
Socio-demographic factors, life satisfaction, and health status influence utilization of the senior citizen centers. Therefore, the government’s community-based care strategy should take these factors into consideration.