Journals / İşletme Bilimi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 14 Sayı: 3
Determinants of Elderly Individuals’ Access to Healthcare and Communication Problems with Healthcare Workers: Evidence from TÜİK Elderly Profile Survey 2023 Data
- Journal
- İşletme Bilimi Dergisi
- Pages
- 590–605
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-25
Abstract
This study investigates barriers to healthcare access and communication difficulties with healthcare personnel among individuals aged 50 and older, using data from the Turkish Statistical Institute’s (TÜİK) 2023 Elderly Profile Survey. Binary logistic and negative binomial regression analyses were employed. Age, education, need for home care, health status, disability status, and region were significant determinants in both models. The likelihood of communication difficulties increased in the 75–84 and 85+ age groups, whereas access barriers rose significantly only in the 85+ group. Higher education was associated with lower probabilities of communication problems and fewer access barriers, while income showed a slight negative effect. Individuals without a need for home care experienced significantly fewer difficulties and barriers. Poor health status increased both communication problems and access barriers, whereas chronic illness affected only access barriers. Those without a disability report had lower levels of both outcomes. Regional variations indicated lower risks in several regions compared to Istanbul. Gender and marital status were not statistically significant. Overall, the findings suggest that advanced age, low education, poor health, and need for home care increase vulnerability to healthcare access and communication problems, while higher income and absence of disability reduce these risks, highlighting the need for targeted policy interventions.
Özet
Bu çalışma, Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu’nun (TÜİK) 2023 yılı Yaşlı Profili Araştırması verilerine dayanarak 50 yaş ve üzeri bireylerin sağlık hizmetlerine erişimde karşılaştıkları engelleri ve sağlık personeli ile iletişim sorunlarının belirleyicilerini incelemektedir. Binary lojistik regresyon ve negatif binominal regresyon analizleri kullanılmıştır. Yaş, eğitim düzeyi, evde bakım ihtiyacı, sağlık durumu, engelli raporu ve bölge değişkenleri hem sağlık çalışanlarıyla iletişim güçlüğü hem de sağlık hizmetlerine erişim engeli üzerinde anlamlı etkiler göstermiştir. İletişim güçlüğü açısından 75–84 ve 85+ yaş gruplarında olasılık artarken, erişim engelinde yalnızca 85+ yaş grubunda anlamlı artış gözlenmiştir. Eğitim düzeyi yükseldikçe her iki durumda da olasılık ve engel sayısı azalmakta, gelir arttıkça hafif bir düşüş görülmektedir. Evde bakım ihtiyacı olmayan bireylerde hem iletişim güçlüğü olasılığı hem de erişim engeli sayısı anlamlı biçimde düşük bulunmuştur. Sağlık durumu kötüleşen bireylerde hem iletişim güçlüğü hem de erişim engeli artarken, kronik hastalık yalnızca erişim engelini artırmıştır. Engelli raporu olmayan bireylerde her iki ölçüt azalmış, bölgesel farklılıklarda İstanbul dışındaki bazı bölgelerde risk daha düşük olmuştur. Cinsiyet ve medeni durum değişkenleri her iki modelde de anlamlı bulunmamıştır. Sonuç olarak, elde edilen bulgular, ileri yaş, düşük eğitim, kötü sağlık durumu ve evde bakım ihtiyacı olan yaşlı bireylerin iletişim güçlüğü ve sağlık hizmetlerine erişim engeli riskinin yüksek olduğunu, gelir artışı ve engelli raporu olmamasının ise bu riskleri azalttığını göstermekte olup, söz konusu gruplara yönelik hedeflenmiş destek programlarının geliştirilmesi önemlidir.
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