Self-reported chronic diseases and health status and health service utilization - Results from a community health survey in Singapore

Table 3 Self-reported chronic diseases ^# and health service utilization by various characteristics (n = 778)

Characteristics	Categories	n	Row%
			Self-reported chronic disease	Outpatient utilization rate	Inpatient utilization rate	SRH score 1-6
Age-group*	<25	53	26.4	83.0	11.3	13.2
	25 - 44	132	34.8	78.0	8.3	29.5
	45 - 64	300	54.8	78.7	10.0	33.2
	≥65	288	80.6	91.0	11.1	41.3
Gender	Males	390	53.1	79.0	10.8	32.3
	Females	388	65.5	88.1	9.8	36.6
Ethnicity	Chinese	496	62.7	83.5	9.5	38.1
	Malay	176	51.1	85.2	9.7	24.4
	Indian	76	60.5	85.5	18.4	34.2
	Others	30	46.7	70.0	6.7	33.3
Highest educational level attained	No formal education	374	70.6	85.0	12.8	40.1
	Primary	231	55.0	80.1	6.5	32.9
	Secondary education and above	173	40.5	84.9	9.8	24.3
Work status	Working full-time or part-time	335	43.6	76.7	8.4	23.6
	Unemployed	157	69.4	85.4	16.6	41.2
	Retiree	134	82.8	91.0	9.0	39.6
	Housewife	129	72.1	89.9	10.9	44.2
	Student or national serviceman	23	8.3	87.5	0.0	8.7
Personal Monthly Income^╣	<S$500	421	71.7	88.5	12.4	44.2
	S$500 - 999	278	47.5	76.9	8.6	24.1
	≥S$1,000	79	34.2	79.7	5.1	19.0
Self-rated health status	Score 1-6	268	77.9	91.8	13.8	-
	Score 7-10	510	49.4	79.2	8.4	-
Chronic diseases	Presence of one or more chronic disease	461	-	98.0	13.2	45.3
	No chronic disease	317	-	62.4	6.0	18.6

^# refers to hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, heart disease, stroke, renal failure, asthma, COPD, cancer and other mental, musculoskeletal, skin, eye, gastrointestinal problems.
* Age not available for five respondents, income not available for 3 respondents.
SRH: Self-reported health; score of 1 indicates poor health and a score of 10 indicates best possible health. Scores 1–6 indicate fair to poor self-rated health status.
^╣Income in Singapore dollars.

ISSN: 1475-9276