Objectives In rural areas of Korea, where public transportation infrastructure is lacking and alternative systems are poor, the elderly experience inconveniences in using healthcare, although their need is high. This study aimed to analyze the association between the convenience of transportation and unmet healthcare needs among the rural elderly.
Methods The data used were collected in the 2016 Community Health Survey among rural elderly individuals aged 65 or older. Dependent variable was the unmet healthcare needs, explanatory variable was the convenience of transportation. The elderly were divided into 3 groups: with no driver in the household, with a driver, and the elderly individual was the driver (the self-driving group). Covariates were classified into predisposing, enabling, and need factors. They included gender, age, education, income, economic activity, household type, motor ability, subjective health level, number of chronic diseases, anxiety/depression, and pain/discomfort. The data were analyzed using logistic regression and stratification.
Results A significant association was found between the convenience of transportation and unmet healthcare needs. When examined unadjusted odds ratio of the group with a driver in the household, using the group with no driver as a reference, was 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 0.68), while that of the self-driving group was 0.34 (95% CI, 0.30 to 0.38). The odds ratios adjusted for all factors were 0.69 (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.80) and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.67 to 0.91).
Conclusions We confirmed a significant association between inconvenient transportation and unmet healthcare needs among the rural elderly even after adjustment for existing known factors. This implies that policies aimed at improving healthcare accessibility must consider the means of transportation available.
Summary
Korean summary
대중교통 인프라가 부족하고 대안적 교통수단 체계가 미흡한 농촌 지역 노인들은 의료 필요는 높으나 도보이동이나 불편한 이동수단을 이용하기 어려워 의료이용에 불편을 겪는다. 본 연구는 의료접근성 향상과 불평등한 접근성 문제에 대한 제안의 근거 마련을 목적으로 질병관리본부 지역사회건강조사 데이터를 이용하여 농촌 노인의 이동수단의 편의성과 미충족의료 경험의 연관성을 살펴보았다. 분석결과 농촌지역 노인에게 교통편 불편은 미충족의료 경험의 주된 이유로 나타났고 기존에 알려진 요인들을 보정한 후에도 이동수단의 편의성과 미충족의료 경험 사이에 유의한 관계가 있음을 확인하였다.
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For the purpose of promotion of mental health in the rural elderly, the author surveyed 558 elderlies aged 60 years or more, and assessed the prevalence rates of depression and cognitive impairment by using self-rating depression scale of Zung(SDS) and the Korean version of mini-mental state examination(MMSEK). Also the association between depression or cognitive function and socio-environmental factors were investigated. The major findings were as follows; 1. The prevalence rates of severe depression and cognitive impairment were 20.9% and 14.9% in all the elderly of both sexes, respectively. 2. The rates of depression and cognitive impairment increased with increasing age in both sex groups. The mean scores of SDS increased and the mean scores of MMSEK decreased significantly among them(P<0.01). 3. Those being female, widows or widowers, and those having low levels of physical activity, showed significantly high the mean scores of depression and had significantly low the mean scores of cognitive impairment(P<0.01). 4. The depression scores relating to decreased libido, confusion, psychomotor retardation, hopelessness and indecisiveness were relatively high in both sexes. 5. All the items of mini-mental state examination were significantly correlated with depression. 6. In stepwise multiple regression analysis on depression, MMSEK, level of physical activity, chronic disease, marital status and family income were selected as highly correlated variables, and the R2-value for these variables was 33.7%. 7. In stepwise multiple regression analysis on cognitive function, level of physical activity, age, depression, sex and marital status were selected as highly correlated variables, and the R2-value for these variables was 62.6%. The depression and cognitive impairment of the elderly were positively correlated with nearly all sociodemographic variables.