I presented the following study at the 36th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japan Epidemiological Association & the 3rd Joint Scientific Meeting with the IEA Western Pacific Region, held in Nagasaki:
“Emergency hospitalization and public assistance among older adults: A cross-sectional study in Japan”
In this study, we used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) to examine the association between public assistance receipt and emergency hospitalization among community-dwelling older adults. The results showed that individuals receiving public assistance were more likely to experience emergency hospitalization compared with non-recipients. This association was attenuated after adjusting for participation in annual health checkups, suggesting that access to preventive healthcare may play an important role.
We also discussed the potential influence of non-financial factors, such as stigma, on healthcare utilization. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of improving access to preventive and continuous care for older adults receiving public assistance.
