Correlates of Physician Visits Among Older Adults in China: The Effects of Family Support

Objective: We examined how family support influenced the use of health services among older Chinese adults. Method: Data came from a national representative survey including 20,255 respondents aged 60 and older. The dependent variable was the number of physician visits in the past 12 months. Family support variables include living arrangement, family size, financial support, instrumental support, and filial piety. Results: Providing or receiving financial support increased the likelihood as well as number of physician visits. By contrast, living with children and regarding children as filial decreased physician visits. Discussion: Financial sufficiency as indicated by the exchange of financial resources within families indicates the importance of money in predicting older adults' physician visits. Living with children may indicate a higher level of support, which substitutes some of physician services. Perceiving children as being filial may render psychological protective effects to older adults which results in less health service use.