Assessing Catastrophic Health Expenditure among Iraqi Households: A Cross-Sectional Study
Zainab Abodi1, Ghobad Moradi2,3, Yousef Moradi2
1Department of Health Care Management, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Catastrophic health expenditures can lead to severe household financial burdens, exacerbating poverty and limiting access to necessary health services. This study examined the prevalence and determinants of catastrophic health expenditures among households in six provinces of Iraq.
Methods:
A cross-sectional design was employed, gathering data from 2,400 households in Baghdad, Wasit, Karbala, An-Najaf, Babil, and Maysan in 2023. A two-stage cluster sampling method was utilized, selecting 400 households from each province. Data were collected using WHO "World Health Survey" questionnaire, focusing on health expenditures and household income. Catastrophic health expenditures as defined as out-of-pocket costs exceeding 40% of a household's capacity to pay. Statistical analyses, including logistic regression with calculating adjusted odds ratio, were performed using STATA14 software.
Results:
Overall, 246 households (12.6%) faced Catastrophic health expenditures, with a higher prevalence among female heads of households (13.1%) compared to males (12.6%). The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that households with 4 to 6 members had 1.52 times higher odds of facing catastrophic health expenditures (AOR=1.52, CI: 1.06 to 2.20). Furthermore, the poorest households had an AOR of 95.28 for experiencing catastrophic health expenditures (OR=95.28, CI: 13.12 to 691.49).
Conclusion:
This study underscores the urgent need for tailored policies to reduce the impact of CHE on Iraqi households. By improving access to healthcare and promoting equitable health insurance enrollment, policymakers can alleviate financial strain and support the health and well-being of vulnerable communities.
More Related Videos
06:16Signal Acquisition, Score Interpretation, and Economics of a Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Test for Coronary Artery Disease
Published on: August 9, 2024
10:38Observational Study Protocol for Repeated Clinical Examination and Critical Care Ultrasonography Within the Simple Intensive Care Studies
Published on: January 16, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:11Observational Studies
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
01:26Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is...
01:18Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
01:26Healthcare Associated Infections I: Iatrogenic, Exogenic and Endogenic
HAIs significantly increase the cost of health care. Extended stays in healthcare institutions, increased disability, increased costs of medications, including specialized antibiotics, and prolonged recovery times add to the patient's expenses and the healthcare institution and funding bodies.