Background: The use of health services is a complex behavioral phenomenon affected by multiple factors (availability, distance, cost, quality, attitudes, cultural beliefs, socioeconomic characteristics, and individuals’ self-perception of health). Mexico has a segmented health system, and the access to it depends on the labor insertion and the population’s ability to pay. Objective: To assess association between use of health services and cardiovascular and metabolic syndrome risk factors among Mexican adults. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional nationally representative study carried out on Mexican adults (≥20-year-old adults of both sexes; n = 4595). Socioeconomic factors, geographic area, health care coverage, information about the use of health services, previous medical diagnoses of diabetes and hypertension, and smoking were assessed. Anthropometrics, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and glucose plasma levels were measured. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed. Prevalences were expressed in terms of percentages, and significant differences were calculated using χ² test. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the association between the use of health services and cardiovascular risk factors and sociodemographic variables. Results: The probability of using health services is higher and more significant in subjects with obesity, diabetes (OR (95% CI): 1.73 (1.49–2.00; p < 0.001), hypertension (OR (95% CI): 1.29 (1.14–1.45; p < 0.001), hypertriglyceridemia (OR (95% CI): 1.30 (1.15–1.46; p < 0.001), and in those with hypercholesterolemia (OR (95% CI): 1.23 (1.03–1.39; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Among health service users, there is a positive significant association between the use of health services and the presence of metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Over recent decades, there has been an increase in the demand for and use of health services of Institute of Security and Social Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) as a result of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the use of health services in Mexican older adults. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional nationally representative study was carried out on Mexican older adults (≥60 years; both sexes; n = 820). Data on NCDs (medical diagnoses of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer and depression) were collected, along with data on smoking, educational level, geographical area of residence, body measurements of weight, height, BMI, and information on the use of the health services of the National Health and Nutrition Survey of ISSSTE Beneficiaries (ENSADER) 2007. Results: The main reasons for the use of health services by older adults were good care and service, no choice/other affiliations and good health outcomes (55.6%, 13.5% and 8.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). The probability of using health services was higher and statistically significant in overweight older adults (OR [CI 95%]: 1.56 (1.05–2.31); p < 0.050), with primary education level (OR (CI 95%): 2.13 (1.36–3.33); p < 0.001), older adults with diabetes (OR [CI 95%]: 1.77 (1.14–2.73); p < 0.050), and older adults with hypertension (OR (CI 95%): 2.19 (1.55–3.09); p < 0.001). Conclusions: In older adults using health services of ISSSTE (ENSADER, 2007), there is a positive and significant association between the use of health services and the presence of diabetes, hypertension and overweight.