학술논문
What limits the utilization of health services among the rural population in the Dabie Mountains- Evidence from Hubei province, China?
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Source
BMC Health Services Research. September 10, 2014, Vol. 14
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
1472-6963
Abstract
Author(s): Pengqian Fang[sup.1] , Shilong Han[sup.1] , Lu Zhao[sup.1] , Zi Fang[sup.2] , Yang Zhang[sup.3] and Xiaoxu Zou[sup.1] Background The utilization of health services has been found to be influenced [...]
Background Individuals living in rural mountain areas tend to use health services less to manage discomfort or illness. This study aims to identify the variables that best explain the health service utilization of a sample of the rural population in the Dabie Mountains in China. Methods To obtain information about health service utilization, a cross-sectional household survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews among the residents of a poor town in the Dabie Mountains. A total of 1,003 residents aged 15 or more, who had felt unwell in the last two weeks before the survey, were included in the analysis. The [chl].sup.2 test and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the factors influencing health service utilization. Results A total of 51.2% of those surveyed had not used health services when they felt unwell, higher than the data reported in the 4th National Health Services Survey of China. Enabling variables played an important role in predicting the utilization of health services. Factors associated with increased health service utilization included being younger, travelling longer to the nearest clinic, and higher household net income. Conclusion To reduce disparities in health service utilization, (1) some effort should be made to change the perceptions and attitudes of older people; (2) reimbursement levels of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Care System should be improved to reduce economic barriers to health service utilization. Keywords: Health service utilization, Economic status, Mountain areas, China
Background Individuals living in rural mountain areas tend to use health services less to manage discomfort or illness. This study aims to identify the variables that best explain the health service utilization of a sample of the rural population in the Dabie Mountains in China. Methods To obtain information about health service utilization, a cross-sectional household survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews among the residents of a poor town in the Dabie Mountains. A total of 1,003 residents aged 15 or more, who had felt unwell in the last two weeks before the survey, were included in the analysis. The [chl].sup.2 test and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the factors influencing health service utilization. Results A total of 51.2% of those surveyed had not used health services when they felt unwell, higher than the data reported in the 4th National Health Services Survey of China. Enabling variables played an important role in predicting the utilization of health services. Factors associated with increased health service utilization included being younger, travelling longer to the nearest clinic, and higher household net income. Conclusion To reduce disparities in health service utilization, (1) some effort should be made to change the perceptions and attitudes of older people; (2) reimbursement levels of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Care System should be improved to reduce economic barriers to health service utilization. Keywords: Health service utilization, Economic status, Mountain areas, China