Gender Differences in Quality of Life and Health Services Utilization among Elderly People in Rural Vietnam

Abstract

As in much of the world, the elderly population in Vietnam is growing rapidly with two-thirds of them currently living in rural areas. Besides limited access to quality healthcare services, they also have unique health profiles and needs due to various factors, including the highly skewed sex ratio of more women residing in rural areas. However, the relationship between gender, health-seeking behaviors, and health outcomes in this under-served population has not been well characterized. This study sought to explore the associations of gender with health-related quality of life and health-seeking behavior among the elderly in Soc Son, a rural district of Hanoi, Vietnam. A cross-sectional design was used; elderly individuals were surveyed across the domains of socioeconomic information, health status, and healthcare service utilization. We found that overall, women had poorer health and quality of life even though gender difference did not appear to significantly influence their levels of health services utilization. A greater understanding of the systemic, sociocultural, and psychological factors underlying such differences may help better inform future healthcare service delivery strategies targeting this growing population in rural areas.

People with Suspected COVID-19 Symptoms Were More Likely Depressed and Had Lower Health-Related Quality of Life: The Potential Benefit of Health Literacy

“…This was consistent with previous studies in Vietnam [66][67][68]. Furthermore, men had a better HRQoL score than women did, which was found in the current study and in previous studies [68,69]. People with comorbidities had a lower HRQoL score than those people without, which was in the line with previous studies [68,70,71].…”

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“…This study found that the differences in EQ‐5D indexes or EQ‐VAS scores between men and women were not statistically significant, whereas a recent study of elderly people in rural Vietnam found better health outcomes for men than women . One possible reason for this disparity is that the subjects in the present study were elderly living in the city.…”

“…One possible reason for this disparity is that the subjects in the present study were elderly living in the city. In addition, Vietnam has a skewed sex ratio in the elderly age group due in part to war‐related deaths among men, resulting in more elderly women than men living without a spouse or partner . Furthermore, fewer women than men in rural Vietnam had support from a caregiver, spouse or children .…”

“…In addition, Vietnam has a skewed sex ratio in the elderly age group due in part to war‐related deaths among men, resulting in more elderly women than men living without a spouse or partner . Furthermore, fewer women than men in rural Vietnam had support from a caregiver, spouse or children . These factors may have contributed to worse overall health outcomes for women than men in Vietnam.…”

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