| Keywords |
Life-sustaining treatments; Death; Hospitals |
| Abstract |
This study aimed to identify factors associated with the experience of using life-sustaining treatments for middle-aged and elderly people who died in hospital. This secondary data analysis used death data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. Adults aged 45 or older who died in hospital were included. Complex sample logistic regression was conducted. Among 758 adults, the prevalence of the experience of using life-sustaining treatments was 43.4%. Significant factors associated with the experience of using life-sustaining treatments were age (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR], 0.969; 95% Confidential Interval [CI], 0.948-0.992), gender (male) (AOR, 1.671; 95% CI, 1.061-2.632), type of insurance a month before death (medical aids) (AOR, 0.435; 95% CI, 0.226-0.838), number of chronic disease (AOR, 1.469; 95% CI, 1.218-1.771), and symptoms during one months before death (AOR, 1.158; 95% CI, 1.085- 1.236). Based on the results, it is suggested to develop the education and intervention program for life-sustaining treatments and advance directives for middle-aged and elderly deceased, their families, and health care professionals. |