Household composition and home health care utilization in young and middle-aged adults

Abstract

Purpose. Given the caregiving duties that women often assume in the United States and the paucity of research on the young and middle-aged adult home health care (HHC) population, the aim of this study was to describe the association between household composition and frequency of HHC utilization among utilizers 18-64 years old. Methods. This study used data from a 2015 nationally representative health survey to conduct a descriptive, cross-sectional analysis. A negative binomial regression was used to test the association of interest and interaction effects. Results. Compared to the presence of at least one female of caregiving age, the presence of at least one male of caregiving age only and households with no adult of caregiving age was not significantly associated with HHC utilization. Patient sex did not act as an effect modifier of the association. Conclusions. The findings do not confirm that any significant relationships exist between household composition and frequency of HHC utilization. Further research is needed to refine the model and methods to better understand the patterns and drivers of HHC utilization in this population.