Healthcare-seeking behaviour of marginalised older people in urban slums: a cross-sectional survey study in Khulna City, Bangladesh

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to measure healthcare-seeking behaviour and determine its associated factors among older people in the slums of the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) areas of Bangladesh. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTINGS: Four slums in the KCC areas of Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were selected following a two-stage area probability sampling with the following specifications: they must be aged ≥60 years and must have lived in the slums of KCC for at least 5 consecutive years. OUTCOME MEASURES: A semistructured interview schedule was administered to determine participants’ healthcare-seeking behaviour, with healthcare-seeking behaviour measured through a dichotomous response of ‘yes’ or ‘no’. RESULTS: 636 participants were included in the study. Gastrointestinal problems (75.3%) and aches and pains (71.5%) were the two most common health problems among older people in the slums of KCC. Older adults in their 80s had higher adjusted odds of attaining healthcare services (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.028; 95% CI: 1.140 to 3.609; p<0.05) than other older people, while educated older people (AOR=0.664; 95% CI: 0.441 to 1.000; p<0.05) and those with greater satisfaction with domains of life (SDL index; AOR=0.860; 95% CI: 0.811 to 0.912; p<0.01) were less inclined to seek healthcare services than their counterparts. Additionally, widows/widowers (AOR=2.218; 95% CI: 1.080 to 4.556; p<0.05) and married people (AOR=2.750; 95% CI: 1.329 to 5.689; p<0.01) had higher adjusted odds of seeking healthcare services than those who were divorced/separated. CONCLUSION: Age, education, marital status and SDL index were significant predictors for the healthcare-seeking behaviour of older people in KCC slums. Effective strategies need to be implemented to reduce existing access barriers to healthcare services for older people in the slum areas of urban Bangladesh.