Temporal trends and correlates in multiple hospitalizations among older adults: findings from a nationally representative sample in China.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the trends and correlates in multiple hospitalizations among older adults in China.

METHODS

The data were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), and generalized ordered logit model (GOLM) was used to identify the correlates of multiple hospitalizations among older adults aged≥60 years old.

RESULTS

Between 2011 and 2018, the proportion of older adults having multiple hospitalizations in the past year showed an increasing trend in the total sample (p value for trend = 0.014). Being older, male, illiterate, living in the middle/western region, having higher annual per capita household expenditure, health insurance, multimorbidity, and being depressed were associated with increased odds of multiple hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicated that older adults with multiple hospitalizations may expect an increasing burden on healthcare system. More efforts are needed to improve health insurance and primary healthcare to reduce avoidable hospitalizations.