Abstract
The study aim is to examine the effect of non-familial support for elderly persons on their refraining from medical care. We used survey data collected in a small, semi-mountainous area of Hakusan in Mie prefecture, Japan (response rate = 91.7%). Community officials visited respondents' houses to distribute the questionnaires on September 1, 2012; these were collected by September 20, 2012. Self-reported refraining from required medical care was used as a dependent variable for the 1341 elderly males and females aged 60 or over who participated. An endogeneity test of three factors of non-familial support―family doctor, close neighbors, and close friends other than neighbors―was undertaken. The results showed that these factors were not endogenous.
The frequencies of self-reported refraining from medical care were as follows: often (4.0%), sometimes (13.6%), seldom (32.7%), and never (49.7%). The ordered probit estimation revealed that among the factors of non-familial support, having a home doctor and having close friends other than neighbors were negatively associated with the frequency of refraining from medical care. Conversely, having close neighbors was not statistically associated with refraining from medical care. These results suggest that non-familial support can prevent elderly people from refraining from medical care. Local governments could ensure that elderly people have a family doctor and help them to create a supportive, non-familial network.
