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Background: Socioeconomic inequalities in the population influence access to health services and constitute a challenge for health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Peru, an increase in the use of medical services has been estimated; however, the study of inequalities in the use of medical services is limited. Therefore, the objective of this research was to analyze and decompose socioeconomic inequalities in the use of medical consultation services in Peru., Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using data from the National Household Survey 2019. The outcome variable was the use of a consultation attended by a physician in the last 4 weeks in persons who presented symptom or discomfort, illness, relapse of chronic disease and/or accident. Concentration curves and Erreygers concentration indices were used to determine socioeconomic inequalities, and a generalized linear regression model was used for the decomposition analysis of inequalities., Results: A total of 52,715 persons were included in the study. The frequency of medical consultation was 25.4% (95% confidence interval: 24.8 - 26.1%). In the inequality analysis, it was found that the use of medical consultations was concentrated among the wealthiest individuals. The main contributing factors were having another type of health insurance (social health insurance [EsSalud], private health insurance, health provider, the Armed Forces, and the Police), residing in an urban area, belonging to the richest wealth quintile, having a chronic disease, and residing in the highlands of Peru., Conclusions: Based on our findings, government institutions seeking to achieve equitable access to health services should consider the main factors contributing to this inequality in the formulation of strategies to lessen the negative impact of inadequate disease control in the population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The high fragmentation and decentralization in the provision of health care services that characterizes Argentina's health system, as well as the economic and social inequalities, challenge the achievement of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The objective of this study is to measure socioeconomic-related inequality and horizontal inequity in the use of health care services in Argentina as well as identify the factors that contribute to these disparities., Methods: The 2013 National Risk Factor Survey, developed by the Ministry of Health of Argentina, was used to measure socioeconomic-related inequality and inequity in the use of health care services through concentration curves, the Erreygers concentration index, and the index of horizontal inequity. Econometric micro-decomposition was applied to estimate the contribution of each determining factor to inequality in the use of health care services., Results: The Erreygers concentration index for the use of health care services was 0.1223, evidencing pro-rich inequalities. By adding variables of health care needs, the horizontal inequity index was 0.1296. Non-need factors such as education and health coverage with social security increase pro-rich inequality., Conclusions: The Argentine health system shows pro-rich inequality in the use of health care services. It is necessary to design strategies to improve articulation between the three coverage subsectors and national, provincial, and municipal governments to keep the commitment of "not leaving anyone behind." The results showed here could provide lessons for countries with similar contexts and challenges in public health.

Objective. To estimate the prevalence and determine the factors associated with the non-utilization of healthcare facilities (NUHCF) among adult Venezuelan migrants in Peru. Materials and Methods. An analytical cross-sectional study of the "Survey of the Venezuelan Population Residing in Peru" 2018. We calculated the proportion of immigrants with NUHCF (immigrants with some symptom or malaise, illness, relapse of chronic illness, accident and discomfort, or other problem such as depression, fear, anger, anxiety, and stress, and who did not consider that it was serious or that they needed to visit a healthcare facility). Raw and adjusted (PRa) prevalence ratios (PR) for presenting NUHCF were estimated using generalized linear models. Results. The study included 2,144 Venezuelan migrants: 57.2% presented NUHCF, reporting reasons such as: not having money (64.5%), lack of health insurance (24.3%), self-medication (12.8%), and not having time (8.4%). Living in Arequipa (PRa: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.57-0.83) or Trujillo (PRa: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.76-0.99), suffering from a chronic disease (PRa: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71-0.97), and being enrolled in the Seguro Integral de Salud (SIS) insurance (PRa: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.13-0.61) was associated with a lower probability of NUHCF. Belonging to an age group under 60 years was associated with a higher probability of NUHCF. Conclusions. One out of two Venezuelan migrants in Peru presents NUHCF. Having SIS increases the likelihood of Venezuelan migrants in Peruvian territory seeking medical attention. Increasing public health insurance for this population, which is currently low, could increase the utilization of health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To identify the prevalence and factors associated with the use of oral health services in Peruvian older adults (OA) during 2018. Materials and Methods. Secondary analysis of data on 4,874 Peruvian OAs from the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) carried out in 2018. The use of oral health services was considered (yes/no) based on the six months prior to the application of the survey as a dependent variable. The independent variables were sex, age, area of residence, educational level, marital status, geographical domain, physical limitation, health insurance, spoken language, and welfare index quintile. A descriptive analysis was performed using absolute frequencies and weighted proportions, and a multivariate analysis using generalized linear models (Poisson regression). Results. From the total of OAs, 52.6% were women, 52.9% belonged to the 60-69 age group, 77% belonged to the urban area, and 81.1% had a health insurance. The prevalence of the use of dental care services in the last six months was 24.9%. Multivariate analysis found association with area of residence (p<0.001), higher educational level (p=0.001), health insurance affiliation (p<0.001), geographic domain (p=0.019), and all welfare index quintiles (p<0.001). Conclusions. The prevalence of the use of dental care services in OAs was low, and its associated factors were the area of residence, educational level, health insurance, geographic domain, and welfare index quintiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the question of how to improve the living standards of the inhabitants of informal settlements is a key political concern. These neighborhoods are characterized by economic vulnerability, social marginalization, and inaccessibility of basic services. The aim of this study is to provide evidence about the environmental risk factors faced by these populations in Argentina, and to identify whether their greater exposure to risk factors is associated with greater accessibility of healthcare services. We analyzed an original database that provides information about basic characteristics of the neighborhood, environmental risk factors (proximity to garbage dumps, industrial waste, and high-voltage towers), and accessibility of basic healthcare services on over 2000 informal settlements in Argentina. We calculated descriptive statistics and developed multivariate econometric models to estimate the probability of accessibility of healthcare services. On average, 31% of informal settlements were close to a garbage dump, 19% were close to a high-voltage tower, and 10% were close to industrial waste. In addition, 39% of these neighborhoods do not have a healthcare center nearby, 65% do not have an accessible hospital, and 39% are not consistently served by ambulances in the event of an emergency. The econometric estimates suggest that the accessibility of hospital healthcare service and to an ambulance service is positively associated with the age of the neighborhood, and whether the neighborhood is a slum, but there is no evidence of association with the exposure to environmental risk factors. In short, the populations living in informal settlements in Argentina are exposed to harmful environmental risk factors. Access to basic healthcare services is limited and does not reflect the elevated exposure to environmental risks. Health, environmental, and economic dimensions should be considered when designing and implementing public policies for vulnerable populations. • People in informal settlements are often exposed to environmental risk factors. • Yet, in these neighborhoods, access to basic healthcare services is limited. • More services are needed to respond to disproportionate exposure and advance equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]