Health Policy Manag.  2024 Sep;34(3):261-270. 10.4332/KJHPA.2024.34.3.261.

Associations between Socioeconomic Factors and Healthy Life Expectancy at Regional Level in Korea

• Kim CN
• Jung YS
• Kim YE
• Ock M
• Jin DL
• Yoon SJ

• KMID: 2562583
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2024.34.3.261

Abstract

Background
Various researchers are calculating the health adjusted life expectancy (HALE) at the regional level in South Korea using several methods, most studies merely enumerate the differences in healthy life expectancy based on social characteristics. This study aims to analyze the association between various sociodemographic factors and HALE at the regional level.
Methods
To calculate HALE, we utilized the various data sources, including National Health Insurance claims data, and applied the Sullivan’s method. We conducted multiple linear regression with regional socioeconomic variables from Korean Statistical Information Service. For the multiple linear regression analysis, we designed three regression models. Model 1 comprised solely socioeconomic variables, model 2 involved both socioeconomic variables and individual health behaviors, and model 3 integrated model 2 with healthcare utilization.
Results
The analysis shows that an increase in financial independence (p<0.05), population density (p<0.1), and the number of doctors (p<0.05) associated with an increase in HALE, whereas an increase in the number of beds (p<0.01) was associated with a decrease in HALE. In case of the obesity rate, in model 2 (p<0.1) and model 3 (p<0.05), there was a negative association between HALE and obesity rate.
Conclusion
Amidst various variables, it was observed that increased financial independence in specific regions had association with an increase in HALE, highlighting the need for stronger local governance in South Korea. Additionally, the inverse association between hospital beds and HALE suggests several implications, such as the appropriate deployment of healthcare resources. To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between hospital beds and HALE, further analysis distinguishing different types of hospital beds across healthcare institutions seems necessary.

Keyword

Public health; Healthy life expectancy; Social determinants of health; Beds