Factors Underlying Unmet Medical Needs: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Public Health
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Unmet medical needs represent a significant gap in healthcare access and service adequacy.
• Factors influencing these needs are complex and multifactorial, impacting patient outcomes.
• Anderson's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use provides a framework for understanding healthcare utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the key factors contributing to unmet medical needs within the South Korean healthcare system.
• To examine the prevalence of unmet medical needs among the adult population in Korea.
• To inform policy development aimed at reducing healthcare disparities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2016 Korea Health Panel Survey, encompassing 11,378 adults aged 19 and above.
• Employed multiple logistic regression analyses to determine the statistical significance of various factors associated with unmet medical needs.
• Applied Anderson's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as the theoretical underpinning for the analysis.

Main Results:

• 11.60% of Korean citizens reported unmet medical service needs.
• Significant predictors of unmet medical needs included older age (OR=2.51), low income (OR=1.41), unemployment (OR=1.24), non-covered treatments (OR=1.24), lack of regular exercise (OR=1.23), pain (OR=2.29), poor self-rated health (OR=2.29), and severe depression (OR=2.46).
• Older participants and those experiencing severe depression or pain showed substantially higher odds of unmet medical needs.

Conclusions:

• Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, low-income individuals, and those with chronic conditions or mental health issues, face significant barriers to accessing healthcare in Korea.
• The findings underscore the need for targeted policies to enhance healthcare coverage and accessibility for physically and economically disadvantaged groups.
• Addressing unmet medical needs is crucial for improving health equity and overall population health outcomes in South Korea.