Influencing Factor Analysis of Family Doctor Contract Service Among
Older Adults: Evidence from China
Abstract
Background: Family doctor contract services are essential to
primary healthcare, significantly improving older adults’ health.
However, contract rates among older individuals are various.
Investigating factors influencing these rates is crucial for optimizing
policies and enhancing contract rates. Methods: This study used
2018 data from Wangying Community Health Service Center, encompassing
8,625 older adults. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to
balance potential confounders between those with and without contracts.
Multiple logistic regression analysis explored the effects of gender,
age, the number of medical visits, and the number of chronic diseases on
contracting behavior. Results: Gender did not significantly
impact contracting behavior. However, age, the number of medical visits,
and the number of chronic diseases significantly influenced it (
β = 0.457, p < 0.01; β = 0.286, p
< 0.05; β = -0.229, p < 0.1). An
inverted U-shaped relationship was found between age and contracting
behavior ( β = -0.003, p < 0.01).
Conclusion: Age, the number of medical visits, and number of
chronic diseases are key factors in family doctor contracting behavior
among older adults. Enhanced policy support is needed to promote
contract signing, improving health security for older individuals.