Gender differences in healthcare utilization across Europe: Evidence from the European Health Interview Survey

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Gender disparities in healthcare access and utilization impact health equity.
• Limited cross-national data exists on gender differences in European healthcare utilization across various service domains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender-based differences in healthcare utilization across 27 European countries.
• To analyze variations in these differences across different types of healthcare services.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 257,388 adults via the European Health Interview Survey (2019-2020).
• Evaluation of 12 healthcare utilization indicators, including outpatient care, mental health services, and medication use.
• Estimation of gender disparities using regression models with inverse probability weighting.

Main Results:

• Women showed higher utilization of outpatient and preventive services (GPs, specialists, dental, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, home care) and medications.
• No significant gender differences were found in hospitalization rates.
• Significant cross-country heterogeneity in disparities was observed, with countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland showing larger gaps than Denmark, the Netherlands, and Ireland.

Conclusions:

• Women consistently use more non-acute healthcare services than men in Europe.
• Comparable hospitalization rates may indicate differences in disease severity or care-seeking behaviors.
• Context-specific policies are needed to address gender inequities in healthcare utilization due to significant cross-national variations.