Changes in Patterns of Health Care Use Among Older Adults in Singapore Across a Decade: Repeated Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey
6 affiliations
- 1Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore, 539747, Singapore, 65 63892000
- 2Psychological Medicine, Changi General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- 3Health Economist's Office, Ministry of Health, Singapore, Singapore
- 4Institute for Lifecourse Development, Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
- 5Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- 6Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
Abstract
Background: There is limited evidence on the patterns of health care use among older adults in Singapore over the past decade.
Objective: This study examines whether the proportion of specific services used within sociodemographic subgroups, the factors associated with health care use, and the network structure of health care use have changed over a decade.
Methods: We used data from 2 repeated nationwide cross-sectional surveys of Singapore residents aged 60 years and older, conducted in 2013 (n=2565) and 2023 (n=2010). Health care service use was obtained from an adapted version of the Client Service Receipt Inventory and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression and network analysis.
Results: The most significant changes between 2013 and 2023 were in the proportions of older adults who had consulted private hospital/clinic doctors (decreased by 4.6 percentage points; n=655, 26.5% vs n=425, 21.9%; P=.02), consulted public and private dentists (increased by 6.4 percentage points; n=215, 11.6% vs n=269, 18%; P<.001), and had health insurance (increased by 26.9 percentage points; n=1312, 59.9% vs n=1697, 86.8%; P<.001). Those diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes were more likely to consult primary care doctors, while those diagnosed with dementia and heart problems were more likely to consult public hospital doctors and health workers, visit emergency departments, and require hospitalization services in both 2013 and 2023. We also found that those diagnosed with dementia were more likely to visit intermediate and long-term care services in both 2013 and 2023. Network analysis revealed that there were strong connections between respite care, nursing homes, and hospital admissions in 2023.
Conclusions: This study provides important data on population-level changes in health care usage among older adults across the decade from 2013 to 2023, which will help policymakers ensure better health care delivery for older adults.
Related
- Changes in the frequency of vigorous physical activity across four survey cycles: analyses of 12-year repeated cross-sectional surveys of 729,201 adolescents
- Prescription-Duration Patterns of Outpatient Macrolide Use in Participating Community Pharmacies in Tokyo, Japan: A 24-Month Repeated Cross-Sectional Study
- Sex- and age-specific trends in prescription medication use, 2005–2025: a nationwide repeated cross-sectional study
- Divergent temporal patterns in adolescent behavioural risk factors across sex, age, and region in Indonesia: a national repeated cross-sectional study, 2007-2023.
- Age-Related CT Morphometry of the Pediatric Clivus and Dorsum Sellae: Cross-Sectional Changes and Pneumatization Patterns
BibTeX
@article{abdin2026changes,
title = {{Changes in Patterns of Health Care Use Among Older Adults in Singapore Across a Decade: Repeated Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey}},
author = {Edimansyah Abdin and AshaRani P V and Bernard Tan and Ke Ning and Peizhi Wang and Saleha Shafie and Anitha Jeyagurunathan and Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar and Li Ling Ng and Kelvin Bryan Tan and Paul McCrone and Siow Ann Chong and Mythily Subramaniam},
journal = {JMIR Aging},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.2196/80157},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2196/80157},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Changes in Patterns of Health Care Use Among Older Adults in Singapore Across a Decade: Repeated Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey
AU - Edimansyah Abdin
AU - AshaRani P V
AU - Bernard Tan
AU - Ke Ning
AU - Peizhi Wang
AU - Saleha Shafie
AU - Anitha Jeyagurunathan
AU - Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar
AU - Li Ling Ng
AU - Kelvin Bryan Tan
AU - Paul McCrone
AU - Siow Ann Chong
AU - Mythily Subramaniam
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - JMIR Aging
DO - 10.2196/80157
UR - https://doi.org/10.2196/80157
AB - Background: There is limited evidence on the patterns of health care use among older adults in Singapore over the past decade. Objective: This study examines whether the proportion of specific services used within sociodemographic subgroups, the factors associated with health care use, and the network structure of health care use have changed over a decade. Methods: We used data from 2 repeated nationwide cross-sectional surveys of Singapore residents aged 60 years and older, conducted in 2013 (n=2565) and 2023 (n=2010). Health care service use was obtained from an adapted version of the Client Service Receipt Inventory and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression and network analysis. Results: The most significant changes between 2013 and 2023 were in the proportions of older adults who had consulted private hospital/clinic doctors (decreased by 4.6 percentage points; n=655, 26.5% vs n=425, 21.9%; P=.02), consulted public and private dentists (increased by 6.4 percentage points; n=215, 11.6% vs n=269, 18%; P<.001), and had health insurance (increased by 26.9 percentage points; n=1312, 59.9% vs n=1697, 86.8%; P<.001). Those diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes were more likely to consult primary care doctors, while those diagnosed with dementia and heart problems were more likely to consult public hospital doctors and health workers, visit emergency departments, and require hospitalization services in both 2013 and 2023. We also found that those diagnosed with dementia were more likely to visit intermediate and long-term care services in both 2013 and 2023. Network analysis revealed that there were strong connections between respite care, nursing homes, and hospital admissions in 2023. Conclusions: This study provides important data on population-level changes in health care usage among older adults across the decade from 2013 to 2023, which will help policymakers ensure better health care delivery for older adults.
SN - 2561-7605
ER -