老人健康公平性之探討
Equity in Health for the Elderly in Taiwan
中文摘要
台灣已進入高齡化社會，老年人口日益增加所引發之老年問題是近代先進國家所需面臨之問題。
由於醫療普及、公共衛生之提升，老人平均餘命逐年不斷向上延伸。因此，老人健康公平性是值 得探討之議題。
本研究利用行政院衛生署國民健康局所提供之民國八十八年「台灣地區老人保健與生活問題調
查表」之資料，加以分析比較影響70 歲以上之老人身體健康及心理健康情況之影響變因並針對
老人社經地位(財富與所得)及教育程度對老人健康公平性之探討。研究對象以民國八十八年第四 次調查中完訪2,310 位 70 歲以上之老人。
研究結果發現，不管有無控制變數下，老人財富(老人及其配偶是否擁有房屋)、所得、及教育程 度都會顯著影響到老人身體健康。控制變數為老人自評健康、醫療費用、是否罹患慢性病、年齡、
性別、與子女同住、及居住地區。然而，在沒有控制變數下，老人所得及教育會影響老人心理健 康情況。但是在有控制變數下，只有老人所得會影響老人心理健康情況。因此，老人擁有房屋、
所得越高、或教育程度越高者，身體健康情況越好。同時，老人所得越高及教育程度越高者，心 理健康情況越好。
本研究結果，可作為政府機關正視老人社會福利問題時，可做為參考之。
英文摘要
The purpose of this study is focused on the equity in health for the elderly in Taiwan. Taiwan is already in the elderly society. Many countries in the World face the serious elderly health equity issues.
The data was used by the Longitudinal Study on Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan in1999 and conducted by Bureau of Health Promotion,
Department of Health in Taiwan. The total number of elderly involved in this survey was 2,310 over 70 years of age at the time of 1999. This study will be analysis the impact on the elders’ physical and psychological health based on elders’ economic social status, include elders’ wealth (owner of the household or not) and yearly income, and the education background.
The result of this study indicated that the elders’ wealth, income, and educational background have significantly difference on elders’ physical status with or without the controlling variables. The controlling variable are elders’ self evaluation on his and her own health, medical expenses, chronic disease, age, sex, living with the kids, and residential area. For elders’ psychological health was effected by the elders’ income and education without considering the controlling variables. Under the controlling variables, the elders’ psychological health will be only effect by the income. In conclusion, when the elders’ own the household, with higher income
and higher education background will have better physical health. When the elders’ have higher income and education background also will have better psychological health.
The results hope can be used for references by the government when they are making decision on the elders’ social benefits
