Health Policy Manag.  2021 Jun;31(2):197-206. 10.4332/KJHPA.2021.31.2.197.

Association between Residential Area and Unmet Healthcare Needs due to Physical Accessibility

• Kim JE
• Hahm MI

• KMID: 2525596
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2021.31.2.197

Abstract

Background
The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting unmet healthcare needs due to physical accessibility by residential area by utilizing the Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS).
Methods
Andersen’s medical service behavioral model was applied to analyze the enabling factors, predisposing factors, and needs factors of unmet healthcare needs focusing on residential areas. This study used data from the KCHS (2017–2019, n=440,792). We used multivariate survey logistic regression analysis in order to identify affecting factors. Sub-group analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of residential areas.
Results
Some participants (2,621, 0.59%) had experienced unmet healthcare needs due to physical accessibility and 2,047 subjects (78.1%) of them lived in rural areas. Multivariate survey logistic regressions revealed that experience of unmet healthcare needs due to physical accessibility increased when people lived in rural areas (odds ratio [OR], 3.95; 95% confidence interval, 3.46–4.51).
Conclusion
This study showed that despite the development of transportation and efforts to alleviate medical inequality, residents in rural areas may still have higher experience of unmet healthcare needs due to physical accessibility compared to the metropolitan city regardless of any other sub-group differences (OR range, 1.90–6.31). This study suggested that government and policymakers should identify the causes of the experience of unmet healthcare needs due to physical accessibility and should develop policies to alleviate those healthcare disparities.

Keyword

Health services accessibility; Healthcare disparities; Health services needs