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- Arokiasamy, Perianayagam, et al.
(author)
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Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases in 6 Low-and Middle-Income Countries : Findings From Wave 1 of the World Health Organization's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE)
- 2017
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In: American Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0002-9262 .- 1476-6256. ; 185:6, s. 414-428
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, we examine patterns of self-reported diagnosis of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and prevalences of algorithm/measured test-based, undiagnosed, and untreated NCDs in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. Nationally representative samples of older adults aged >= 50 years were analyzed from wave 1 of the World Health Organization's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (2007-2010; n = 34,149). Analyses focused on 6 conditions: angina, arthritis, asthma, chronic lung disease, depression, and hypertension. Outcomes for these NCDs were: 1) self-reported disease, 2) algorithm/measured test-based disease, 3) undiagnosed disease, and 4) untreated disease. Algorithm/measured test-based prevalence of NCDs was much higher than self-reported prevalence in all 6 countries, indicating underestimation of NCD prevalence in low-and middle-income countries. Undiagnosed prevalence of NCDs was highest for hypertension, ranging from 19.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18.1, 21.3) in India to 49.6% (95% CI: 46.2, 53.0) in South Africa. The proportion untreated among all diseases was highest for depression, ranging from 69.5% (95% CI: 57.1, 81.9) in South Africa to 93.2% (95% CI: 90.1, 95.7) in India. Higher levels of education and wealth significantly reduced the odds of an undiagnosed condition and untreated morbidity. A high prevalence of undiagnosed NCDs and an even higher proportion of untreated NCDs highlights the inadequacies in diagnosis and management of NCDs in local health-care systems.
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- Byles, Julie E, et al.
(author)
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Women's uptake of Medicare Benefits Schedule mental health items for general practitioners, psychologists and other allied mental health professionals.
- 2011
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In: The Medical journal of Australia. - 1326-5377. ; 194:4, s. 175-179
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To quantify women's uptake of Medicare Benefits Schedule mental health items, compare characteristics of women by mental health service use, and investigate the impact on Medicare costs.DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of linked survey data and Medicare records (November 2006 - December 2007) of 14 911 consenting participants of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) across three birth cohorts (1921-1926 ["older cohort"], 1946-1951 ["mid-age cohort"], and 1973-1978 ["younger cohort"]).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uptake of mental health items; 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) Mental Health Index scores from ALSWH surveys; and patient (out-of-pocket) and benefit (government) costs from Medicare data.RESULTS: A large proportion of women who reported mental health problems made no mental health claims (on the most recent survey, 88%, 90% and 99% of the younger, mid-age and older cohorts, respectively). Socioeconomically disadvantaged women were less likely to use the services. SF-36 Mental Health Index scores among women in the younger and mid-age cohorts were lowest for women who had accessed mental health items or self-reported a recent mental health condition. Mental health items are associated with higher costs to women and government.CONCLUSION: Although there has been rapid uptake of mental health items, uptake by women with mental health needs is low and there is potential socioeconomic inequity.
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- Kowal, P., et al.
(author)
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Prevalence of unmet health care need in older adults in 83 countries: measuring progressing towards universal health coverage in the context of global population ageing
- 2023
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In: Population Health Metrics. - 1478-7954. ; 21:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Current measures for monitoring progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) do not adequately account for populations that do not have the same level of access to quality care services and/or financial protection to cover health expenses for when care is accessed. This gap in accounting for unmet health care needs may contribute to underutilization of needed services or widening inequalities. Asking people whether or not their needs for health care have been met, as part of a household survey, is a pragmatic way of capturing this information. This analysis examined responses to self-reported questions about unmet need asked as part of 17 health, social and economic surveys conducted between 2001 and 2019, representing 83 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Noting the large variation in questions and response categories, the results point to low levels (less than 2%) of unmet need reported in adults aged 60+ years in countries like Andorra, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Thailand and Viet Nam to rates of over 50% in Georgia, Haiti, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. While unique, these estimates are likely underestimates, and do not begin to address issues of poor quality of care as a barrier or contributing to unmet need in those who were able to access care. Monitoring progress towards UHC will need to incorporate estimates of unmet need if we are to reach universality and reduce health inequalities in older populations.
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- Navin Cristina, Tina J, et al.
(author)
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Identification of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke in mid- and older-aged women : Comparing self-report and administrative hospital data records
- 2016
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In: Geriatrics & Gerontology International. - : Wiley. - 1444-1586 .- 1447-0594. ; 16:1, s. 95-102
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM: To estimate the prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke in self-report and hospital data in two cohorts of women; measure sensitivity and agreement between data sources; and compare between cohorts.METHODS: Women born between 1946-1951 and 1921-1926 who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH); were New South Wales residents; and admitted to hospital (2004-2008) were included in the present study. The prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke was estimated using self-report (case 1 at latest survey, case 2 across multiple surveys) and hospital records. Agreement (kappa) and sensitivity (%) were calculated. Logistic regression measured the association between patient characteristics and agreement.RESULTS: Hypertension had the highest prevalence and estimates were higher for older women: 32.5% case 1, 45.4% case 2, 12.8% in hospital data (1946-1951 cohort); 57.8% case 1, 73.2% case 2, 38.2% in hospital data (1921-1926 cohort). Agreement was substantial for diabetes: κ = 0.75 case 1, κ = 0.70 case 2 (1946-1951 cohort); κ = 0.77 case 1, κ = 0.80 case 2 (1921-1926 cohort), and lower for other conditions. The 1946-1951 cohort had 2.08 times the odds of agreement for hypertension (95% CI 1.56 to 2.78; P < 0.0001), and 6.25 times the odds of agreement for heart disease (95% CI 4.35 to 10.0; P < 0.0001), compared with the 1921-1926 cohort.CONCLUSION: Substantial agreement was found for diabetes, indicating accuracy of ascertainment using self-report or hospital data. Self-report data appears to be less accurate for heart disease and stroke. Hypertension was underestimated in hospital data. These findings have implications for epidemiological studies relying on self-report or administrative data. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015
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- Stewart Williams, Jennifer A, et al.
(author)
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Assessing patterns of use of cardio-protective polypill component medicines in Australian women
- 2013
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In: Drugs & Aging. - : Springer. - 1170-229X .- 1179-1969. ; 30:3, s. 193-203
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: A low-cost 'polypill' could theoretically be one way of improving medication affordability and compliance for secondary prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The polypill has also been proposed as a primary prevention strategy. Yet many of the issues surrounding the polypill are still being debated and the underlying assumptions have not been proven. In this paper, we step back from the complexities of the debate and report upon the utilization of polypill component medicines in two population cohorts of Australian women who were aged 56-61 years and 81-86 years in 2007.OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were firstly, to describe the association between the women's characteristics (health, illness, behavioural, demographic, socioeconomic) and their use of statins and antihypertensive medicines for the treatment of heart disease, and secondly, to discuss possible health and economic benefits for women with these characteristics that may be expected to result from the introduction of a cardio-protective polypill.METHODS: Survey records from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were linked to 2007 Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) claims for 7,116 mid-aged women and 4,526 older-aged women. Associations between women's characteristics (self-reported in ALSWH surveys) and their use of statins and antihypertensive medicines (measured through PBS claims in 2007) were analysed using Chi-square and multivariate regression techniques.RESULTS: Between 2002 and 2007, the use of statins in combination with antihypertensives by mid- and older-aged Australian women increased. A moderate yet increasing proportion of mid-aged women were taking statins without antihypertensives, and a high proportion of older-aged women were using antihypertensives without statins. A high proportion of women who were prescribed both statins and antihypertensives were in lower socioeconomic groups and reported difficulty managing on their incomes.CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a polypill may provide an easy-to-take, cheaper alternative for Australian women already taking multiple cardiovascular disease medications, with particular benefits for older women and women in lower socioeconomic groups. Future research is needed to quantify the potential social and economic benefits of the polypill.
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- Williams, Jennifer A Stewart, et al.
(author)
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Equity of access to cardiac rehabilitation : the role of system factors.
- 2010
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In: International journal for equity in health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-9276. ; 9, s. 2-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: When patient selection processes determine who can and cannot use healthcare there can be inequalities and inequities in individuals' opportunities to benefit. This paper evaluates the influence of a hospital selection process on opportunities to access outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR).METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted on a cohort of inpatients (n = 2,375) who were all eligible for invitation to an Australian CR program. Eligibility was determined by hospital discharge diagnosis codes. Only invited patients could attend. Logistic regression analysis tested the extent to which individual patient characteristics were statistically significantly associated with the outcome 'invitation' after adjusting for cardiac disease and other factors.RESULTS: Less than half of the eligible patients were invited to the CR program. After allowing for known factors that may have justified not being selected, there was bias towards inviting males, younger patients, married patients, and patients who nominated English as their preferred language.CONCLUSIONS: Health service managers typically monitor service utilisation patterns as indicators of access but often pay little attention to ways in which locally determined system factors influence access to care. The paper shows how a hospital selection process can unreasonably influence patients' opportunities to benefit from an evidence-based healthcare program.
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