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Adolescent health is considered the basis of adult health, and the unmet healthcare needs in adolescents are an important issue to be solved. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the prevalence of unmet healthcare needs, and examine its associated factors among adolescents in Korea based on Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services, using data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016 to 2018). This survey’s data source comprised 12- to 18-year-old adolescents, of which 1425 provided information on their unmet healthcare needs, as well as their predisposing, enabling, and need factors. For statistical analysis, SPSS version 25.0 was used. Descriptive analyses were performed to assess each variable, whereas multiple logistic regression was used to determine the associated factors. The overall prevalence of unmet healthcare needs was 5.5%. The factors that had statistically significant relationships with adolescents’ unmet healthcare needs were: age; stress perceptions; housing types; and perceived health status. Unlike previous studies that presented related factors on vulnerable groups, this study’s results presented unmet healthcare needs and related factors for all Korean adolescents using a national survey dataset. Hence, its findings could provide feedback on current policies, and guide future studies.

The purpose of this study was to determine factors that influence the unmet healthcare needs of older women in Korea and to examine differences in the reasons for these unmet healthcare needs according to age and residential area. We analyzed data from the 2018 Korea Community Health Survey and enrolled 42,698 older Korean women in this study. Residential area, living arrangement, income, education, basic livelihood subsidy, activity of daily living, subjective health status, hypertension and diabetes, unmet healthcare needs, and the reasons healthcare needs were not met were assessed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors that influenced unmet healthcare needs. Chi-square tests were used to identify reasons for unmet healthcare needs according to age group and residential area. Of the participants, 4151 (9.7%) reported unmet healthcare needs over the past year. The primary reason participants could not use health services was “inconvenient transportation” (38.4%), followed by “financial burden” (28.4%) and “symptoms not severe” (16.8%). There were significant differences in “financial burden”, “difficulty making appointments”, “inconvenient transportation”, and “symptoms not severe” according to both age group and residential area. Factors that influenced unmet healthcare needs were residential area, living alone, lower family income, lower educational level, basic livelihood subsidy, difficult activities of daily living, hypertension and diabetes, and poor subjective health. Older women in Korea living alone in urban and rural areas had more unmet healthcare needs of than those who lived with other people. To address the unmet healthcare needs of older Korean women, transportation and medical facilities need to be improved or established.

Background“Unmet healthcare needs” refers to the situation in which patients or citizens cannot fulfill their medical needs, likely due to socioeconomic reasons. The purpose of this study was to analyze factors related to unmet healthcare needs among South Korean adults.MethodsWe used a retrospective cross-sectional study design. This nationwide-based study included the data of 26,598 participants aged 19 years and older, which were obtained from the 2013–2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Using multiple logistic regression models, we analyzed the associations between factors that influence unmet healthcare needs and participants’ subgroups.ResultsDespite South Korea’s universal health insurance system, in 2017, 9.5% of South Koreans experienced unmet healthcare needs. In both the male and female groups, younger people (age 19–39) had a higher odds ratio (OR) of experiencing unmet healthcare needs compared to older people (reference: age ≥ 60) (men: OR 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35–2.48; women: OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.12–1.81). In particular, unlike men, women’s unmet healthcare needs increased as their incomes decreased (1 quartile OR 1.55, 2 quartiles OR 1.29, 3 quartiles OR 1.26). Men and women showed a tendency to have more unmet healthcare needs with less exercise, worse subjective health state, worse pain, and a higher degree of depression.ConclusionsThe contributing factors of unmet healthcare needs included having a low socioeconomic status, high stress, severe pain, and severe depression. Considering our findings, we suggest improving healthcare access for those with low socioeconomic status.

Presented in this paper is a study that examined the status of unmet healthcare needs of children in vulnerable families and identified factors affecting such unmet needs. The Community Child Center (CCC) Child Panel Survey data in Korea were used. A multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to examine factors influencing unmet healthcare needs of children. Influencing factors comprised predisposing, enabling, and need factors based on the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization. A total of 340 sixth-graders from vulnerable families participated, and 96 (28.2%) children had unmet healthcare needs. Factors included absence of an after-school caregiver (OR = 1.95, 95% CI [1.16, 3.27]), perceived physical symptoms (OR = 1.33, 95% CI [1.02, 1.73]), parental indifference (OR = 1.33, 95% CI [1.002, 1.77]), duration of daily stay at CCCs (OR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.01, 1.71]), and satisfaction with CCC teachers (OR = 0.65, 95% CI [0.49, 0.85]). The relationship with parents and CCC teachers had the strongest influence on unmet healthcare needs of children. In order to reduce the unmet healthcare needs of children in vulnerable families, existing support structures should be expanded to offer financial and administrative support for children&rsquo, s parents and CCC teachers.

This paper examines the determinants of unmet healthcare needs in Europe. Special emphasis is put on the impact of social capital. Data come from the European Social Survey, 2014. Our study includes 32,868 respondents in 20 countries. Because unmet needs are observed only in those individuals who are exposed to, and recognise, the need of medical care, sample selection can be an issue. To address it, we analyse the data using the bivariate sample selection model. When there is no need, there is no assessment of access to healthcare. Accordingly, in this situation, our model assumes that unmet need is unobserved. The magnitude and statistical significance of the error correlation support our modelling strategy. A high proportion (18.4%) of individuals in need in Europe reported unmet needs. Informal connections seem to mitigate barriers to access as well as trust in other people and institutions, particularly in health services. Financial strain still is a strong predictor of unmet needs. Other vulnerable groups include informal carers, minorities and individuals feeling discriminated. Unmet needs might also arise due to persistent needs of healthcare as it seems to be the case of individuals with lower health status and chronic conditions. A result that merits further research concerns the positive impact of civic engagement on unmet needs.

Background Elderly people often have more complicated healthcare needs than younger adults due to additional functional decline, physical illness, and psychosocial needs. Unmet healthcare needs increase illness severity, complications, and mortality. Despite this, research on the unmet healthcare needs of elderly people is limited in Korea. This study analysed the effect of functional deterioration related to aging on unmet healthcare needs based on the Korea Health Panel Study. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from the 2011–2013 survey of 8666 baseline participants aged 65 years and older. Unmet healthcare needs were calculated using a complex weighted sample design. Group differences in categorical variables were analysed using the Rao-Scott Chi-square test. Using logistic regression analysis, the association between unmet healthcare needs and aging factors was analysed. Results The prevalence of unmet healthcare needs in Korean elderly was 17.4%. Among them, the leading reason was economic hardship (9.2%). Adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic characteristics, and health-related characteristics, the group with depression syndrome was 1.45 times more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than that without depression syndrome (95% CI = 1.13–1.88). The group with visual impairment was 1.48 times more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than that without it (95% CI = 1.22–1.79). The group with hearing impairment was 1.40 times more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than that without it (95% CI = 1.15–1.72). The group with memory impairment was 1.74 times more likely to have unmet healthcare needs than that without it (95% CI = 1.28–2.36). Conclusions The unmet medical needs of the elderly are more diverse than those of younger adults. This is because not only socioeconomic and health-related factors but also aging factors that are important to the health of the elderly are included. All factors were linked organically; therefore, integrated care is needed to improve healthcare among the elderly. To resolve these unmet healthcare needs, it is necessary to reorganize the healthcare system in Korea to include preventive and rehabilitative services that address chronic diseases in an aged society and promote life-long health promotion.

The purpose of this study is to investigate healthcare access disparity that will cause delayed and unmet healthcare needs for the elderly, and to examine health inequality and healthcare cost burden for the elderly. To produce clear policy applications, this study adapts a modified PRECEDE-PROCEED model for framing theoretical and experimental approaches. Data were collected from a large collection of the Community Tracking Study Household Survey 2003–2004 of the USA. Reliability and construct validity are examined for internal consistency and estimation of disparity and inequality are analyzed by using probit/ols regressions. The results show that predisposing factors (e.g., attitude, beliefs, and perception by socio-demographic differences) are negatively associated with delayed healthcare. A 10% increase in enabling factors (e.g., availability of health insurance coverage, and usual sources of healthcare providers) are significantly associated with a 1% increase in healthcare financing factors. In addition, information through a socio-economic network and support system has a 5% impact on an access disparity. Income, health status, and health inequality are exogenously determined. Designing and implementing easy healthcare accessibility (healthcare system) and healthcare financing methods, and developing a socio-economic support network (including public health information) are essential in reducing delayed healthcare and health inequality.

There are few comprehensive studies available on barriers encountered from the initial seeking of healthcare through to the resolution of the health problem; in other words, on access in its broad domain. For Colombia and Brazil, countries with different healthcare systems but common stated principles, there have been no such analyses to date. This paper compares factors that influence access in its broad domain in two municipalities of each country, by means of a cross-sectional study based on a survey of a multistage probability sample of people who had had at least one health problem within the last three months (2163 in Colombia and 2155 in Brazil). The results reveal important barriers to healthcare access in both samples, with notable differences between and within countries, once differences in sociodemographic characteristics and health needs are accounted for. In the Colombian study areas, the greatest barriers were encountered in initial access to healthcare and in resolving the problem, and similarly when entering the health service in the Brazilian study areas. Differences can also be detected in the use of services: in Colombia greater geographical and economic barriers and the need for authorization from insurers are more relevant, whereas in Brazil, it is the limited availability of health centres, doctors and drugs that leads to longer waiting times. There are also differences according to enrolment status and insurance scheme in Colombia, and between areas in Brazil. The barriers appear to be related to the Colombian system's segmented, non-universal nature, and to the involvement of insurance companies, and to chronic underfunding of the public system in Brazil. Further research is required, but the results obtained reveal critical points to be tackled by health policies in both countries. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement nº 223123 which project is entitled/n“Impact on equity of access and efficiency of Integrated Health care Networks (IHN) in Colombia and Brazil” (Equity-LA). Moreover, a grant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to Development/n(Spain) was provided to Irene Garcia-Subirats, for the development of the fieldwork (Beca MAEC-AECID 2010e2011 and 2011e2012)