Defining Unmet Need for Healthcare among Older Adults in India

Dipti Govil, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
T V Sekher, International Institute for Population Sciences
Manish Lekhwani, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Using unit-level data from LASI-Wave-1, the paper aimed to define unmet need for healthcare among older adults using different measurements and provided estimates across Indian states and socio-demographic groups. Three indicators to measure unmet need based on 1) visits for healthcare and referrals, 2) lack of treatment for sensory organs, and 3) lack of treatment for (ten) diseases 3.I-diagnosed, 3.II-diagnosed+measured hypertension, 3.III-diagnosed+measured hypertension+unmanaged hypertension. Overall, 9% and 32% older adults had unmet need based on healthcare visits and sensor organs, while 19.7%, 33.3% and 39.7% had unmet need on indicator 3.I, 3.II and 3.III respectively. Unmet-need based on indicator 1 and 3.I remained constant across ages, while it increased with age on other three indicators. As compared to north India, other regions had low unmet need on health-visits, sensory organs and diseases while it reversed when measured and unmanaged hypertension were added. Other common determinants of unmet need were ADL, mobility, impairment, however age, sex, marital status, and other socio-economic indicators selectively affected unmet need; decomposition also indicated similar pattern. Unmet need can be addressed by contribution to the efforts to “leave no one behind” as part of SDG Target 3.8 and renewed interest in equity in national policy deliberations.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Health and Morbidity, Data and Methods, Decomposition analysis

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