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Original Article
- Association Between Objective Social Isolation and Unmet Medical Needs: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Study in Korea
- Jeong Min Yang, Seul Ki Lee, Jae Hyun Kim
- J Prev Med Public Health. 2024;57(3):242-251. Published online April 27, 2024
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.23.516
- 7,573 View
- 107 Download
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Abstract
Summary
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Supplementary Material - Objectives
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between objective social isolation (SI) and unmet medical needs (UMN) in adults aged 19 and older.
Methods
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 208 619 adults aged 19 and older, excluding missing data, using the 2019 Korea Community Health Survey. To analyze the association between objective SI and UMN, the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed.
Results
The prevalence of UMN was 1.14 times higher (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 1.23) among those with SI than among those without SI, and the OR for groups with 5 SI types was 2.77 (95% CI, 1.86 to 4.12) compared to those with no SI types. In addition, a stratified analysis by age group showed that the association between SI and UMN existed even in groups under 64 years old. However, among those aged 65 and older, SI was associated with an OR of 1.53 (95% CI, 1.37 to 1.71) for UMN compared to non-SI. As the number of SI types increased, the prevalence of UMN also increased, indicating a strong association between SI and UMN in older adults.
Conclusions
This study found that individuals with SI experienced UMN due to fear and anxiety about interpersonal relationships. Therefore, based on the results of this cross-sectional study, it is necessary to investigate the causal relationship between SI and UMN through future longitudinal data. -
SummaryKorean summary
본 연구는 2019년 지역사회건강조사를 활용하여 사회적 고립과 미충족의료 간의 연관성을 분석한 연구이다. 분석 결과 사회적 고립이 있을 경우 비사회적고립 집단에 비하여 미충족의료 경험률이 높았고, 사회적 고립의 강도가 높아질수록 강한 연관성을 발견할 수 있었다. 본 연구 결과를 바탕으로 미충족의료 취약 집단에 대한 정책적, 제도적 기반 마련이 요구된다.Key Message
This study analyzed the association between social isolation and unmet medical needs using the 2019 Korea Community Health Survey. The analysis revealed that individuals experiencing social isolation had a higher rate of unmet medical needs compared to the non-social isolation group. Furthermore, a stronger association was observed as the intensity of social isolation increased. Based on the results of this study, there is a need to establish policy and institutional foundations to support vulnerable groups with unmet medical needs.
Comparative Study
- The Relation between Type of Insurance and Acute Appendicitis Rupture Rate.
- Baeg Ju Na, Jee Young Hong, Keon Yeop Kim, Moo Sik Lee, Hae Sung Nam, Jeong Soo Im, Jung Ae Rhee
- J Prev Med Public Health. 2004;37(3):267-273.
- 2,407 View
- 36 Download
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Abstract
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- OBJECTIVES
This study was aimed at investigating the medical service utilization pattern of patients who use public medical aid compared to those who have health insurance. METHODS: We selected every patient between the age of 18 and 69 who used public medical aid from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2001, in Gwangju metropolitan city, South Korea. For comparison, a list of patients with health insurance was gathered for same period. Then the medical records of those who had been hospitalized for acute appendicitis were selected among both groups. Of those records, we compared the number of cases of ruptured appendicitis to cases of whole acute appendicitis in both groups. Regarding coding for ruptured appendicitis, International Classification of Diseases - 10 (ICD-10) was used. Multiple logistic regression was used as a statistical tool to determine the effectiveness of risk factors. RESULTS: Even after adjusting for risk factors, such as age and sex, the proportion of perforation of acute appendicitis among public medical aid patients was found to be significantly higher than among insured patients. CONCLUSIONS: This comparative study on ruptured appendicitis among public medical aid patients and insured patients, indicates that the proportion of perforation of acute appendicitis could be an index showing that these types of patients utilize medical services differently than insured patients. We know that when abdominal pain is not properly treated at the outset, it easily develops into ruptured appendicitis complicated with peritonitis. Considering this data analysis, we guess the public medical aid system to have significant problem with medical accessibility. So additional and systematic research on the pattern of utilization of medical services of public medical aid patients is needed. -
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