DESIRABLE LIFE EVENTS AND PHYSICIAN UTILIZATION AMONG OLDER AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN

In this article we report on a study which examined the relationship between desirable life events and outpatient physician utilization. We tested two models: (1) a model which assumed that desirable events are associated with a change in utilization, and the relationship is linear; and (2) a model which assumed that desirable events are associated non-linearly with physician utilization. Data were collected at two points in time from 346 older men and women residing in the Chicago metropolitan area. We conceptualized our models in terms of Andersen's behavioral model of medical care utilization. Our analyses suggest that experiencing desirable events resulted in a non-uniform reduction in number of physician visits. People who experienced three desirable events did not benefit as much as those who experienced one or two. We suggest that the effect of desirable events on utilization was due to the impact of desirable events on psychological well-being, and thus, on perception of health status. Furthermore, we discuss the findings in relationship to social support, its costs and benefits.