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Factors affecting unmet healthcare needs of older people in K orea
Author(s) -
Ahn Y.H.,
Kim N.H.,
Kim C.B.,
Ham O.K.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international nursing review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1466-7657
pISSN - 0020-8132
DOI - 10.1111/inr.12055
Subject(s) - health care , medicine , logistic regression , odds ratio , gerontology , confidence interval , family medicine , cross sectional study , descriptive statistics , nursing , statistics , mathematics , pathology , economics , economic growth
Background Despite the fact that the N ational H ealth I nsurance programmes have ensured universal coverage for K oreans, disparities in access to health care and unmet healthcare needs still exist in K orea. Aim The purpose of this study was to analyse factors affecting unmet healthcare needs of older people in K orea. Methods This study had a cross‐sectional, descriptive design using secondary data taken from the K orean N ational H ealth and N utrition S urvey conducted in 2007–2009. A complex sampling design was used, and the participants included a nationally representative sample of 3943 people older than 64 years. Socio‐demographic variables, subjective health, existence of chronic diseases, quality of life and unmet healthcare needs were included in the study instruments. Logistic regression analyses were performed in order to examine the relationship between unmet healthcare needs and independent variables. Results According to the results, 29.4% of older women and 14.0% of older men had not visited clinics or hospitals when they needed to obtain healthcare services (unmet healthcare needs) during the past 12 months. Older women [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.831, 95% confidence interval ( CI) = 1.428–2.347] and those with poor subjective health ( OR = 1.708, 95% CI = 1.371–2.126) and arthritis ( OR = 1.278, 95% CI = 1.029–1.586) were more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than their counterparts. Conclusions Efforts to decrease unmet healthcare needs, targeting high‐risk groups (especially for older women), are needed in order to prevent disability, decrease mortality and promote the quality of life of older people.