TY - JOUR
T1 - Discontinuation of Health Interventions Among Brazilian Older Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemic
T2 - REMOBILIZE Study
AU - Coelho de Amorim, Juleimar Soares
AU - Ornellas, Giulianna
AU - Lloyd-Sherlock, Peter
AU - Pereira, Daniele Sirineu
AU - da Silva, Alexandre
AU - Duim, Etienne
AU - Lima, Camila Astolphi
AU - Perracini, Monica Rodrigues
PY - 2022/7/1
Y1 - 2022/7/1
N2 - The objective of this study was to analyze changes in access to health interventions during the pandemic among Brazilian older adults and to investigate the factors associated with social and health inequalities. We conducted an online survey with Brazilian adults aged 60 + years between May and June 2020. A multidimensional questionnaire was used to investigate access to health interventions during the pandemic and associated factors. Of 1482 participants, 56.5% reported health care before the pandemic, and 36.4% discontinued it during the pandemic. The discontinuation rate was 64.4% (95% CI 61.1-67.6). Participants with higher educational level (nine or more years of education: OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.17-0.70) and higher income (eight or more times the minimum wage: OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.36-0.81) were associated with less probability of discontinuation. Presenting multimorbidity (OR: 1.42; 95% CI 1.06-1.90) and polypharmacy (OR: 0.61; 95% CI 0.46-0.81) were associated with discontinuity in health interventions. Our study showed that structural health inequities in access to health care shaped the rates of discontinuation in health care interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategic actions should be set up to actively monitor socially vulnerable older adults and strengthen community-based services to mitigate the discontinuation of health care interventions.
AB - The objective of this study was to analyze changes in access to health interventions during the pandemic among Brazilian older adults and to investigate the factors associated with social and health inequalities. We conducted an online survey with Brazilian adults aged 60 + years between May and June 2020. A multidimensional questionnaire was used to investigate access to health interventions during the pandemic and associated factors. Of 1482 participants, 56.5% reported health care before the pandemic, and 36.4% discontinued it during the pandemic. The discontinuation rate was 64.4% (95% CI 61.1-67.6). Participants with higher educational level (nine or more years of education: OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.17-0.70) and higher income (eight or more times the minimum wage: OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.36-0.81) were associated with less probability of discontinuation. Presenting multimorbidity (OR: 1.42; 95% CI 1.06-1.90) and polypharmacy (OR: 0.61; 95% CI 0.46-0.81) were associated with discontinuity in health interventions. Our study showed that structural health inequities in access to health care shaped the rates of discontinuation in health care interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategic actions should be set up to actively monitor socially vulnerable older adults and strengthen community-based services to mitigate the discontinuation of health care interventions.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - discontinuation of health care
KW - geriatric care
KW - older adults
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129218326&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00207314221092354
DO - 10.1177/00207314221092354
M3 - Article
C2 - 35404167
AN - SCOPUS:85129218326
SN - 0020-7314
VL - 52
SP - 330
EP - 340
JO - International Journal of Health Services
JF - International Journal of Health Services
IS - 3
ER -
