Comparison of health services use by Chinese urban and rural older adults in Yunnan province

Background: This article examines and compares the pattern of determinants of health services use between Chinese older adults residing in urban and rural areas of Yunnan province, China. Methods: Data from the Sample Survey on Aged Population in Urban/Rural China (SSAPUR) are used to compare the patterns of determinants for both physician visit and hospitalization between the urban and rural respondents. Andersen’s health service utilization model was adopted as a conceptual framework. Results: Findings revealed that different patterns of determinants in physician visits and hospitalization existed among the two groups, implying that different barriers in health access are faced. The financial barrier was a prominent factor faced by urban elders in access to both physician visits and hospitalization, while rural elders encountered physical barriers in addition to financial difficulty when accessing health care. Conclusion: Study of the elderly population in Yunnan province helps to contrast the differences in health service use between urban and rural elders, which would shed light on possible focus in health policy‐making and resource allocation to tackle the different health access barriers.