Mobility and Gender Aspects of Hospital Trips of the Urban Elderly in Ilesa, Nigeria

Abstract

Accessibility to health care facilities is one characteristic that have the potential to impact the health and well-being of the elderly. Using data from a multistage sample survey of 378 elderly, this study examines intra- urban mobility and gender differences in hospital trips of elderly in the city of Ilesa, South-western, Nigeria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and ANOVA. The analysis reveals similarity in gender trip rates to hospitals - 63.14% of elderly men and 66.29% of elderly women of the samples visited hospitals for medical treatment during the period under study. Overall, occasional trips frequency accounts for 96.71% of the trips to hospitals. The findings show significant gender differences in trip frequencies, travel distance and mode choices of the elderly. The research results reinforce the importance of intraurban and gender variations in travel characteristics of the elderly to hospitals.

Keywords: Elderly, mobility, hospitals, urban, Nigeria.