Figure 1
Selection process of the study population.
KNHANES, Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Table 1Regional distribution of unmet medical needs in Korea (n = 4,946)
Province |
Unmet medical needs, n (%) |
Yes |
No |
Seoul |
112 (11.5) |
859 (88.5) |
Busan |
39 (15.7) |
210 (84.3) |
Daegu |
39 (13.1) |
258 (86.9) |
Incheon |
40 (12.8) |
272 (87.2) |
Gwangju |
13 (7.5) |
161 (92.5) |
Daejeon |
22 (13.4) |
142 (86.6) |
Ulsan |
14 (17.5) |
66 (82.5) |
Gyeonggi |
127 (10.4) |
1,092 (89.6) |
Gangwon |
25 (12.9) |
169 (87.1) |
Chungbuk |
26 (19.0) |
111 (81.0) |
Chungnam |
31 (14.8) |
178 (85.2) |
Jeonbuk |
31 (16.1) |
162 (83.9) |
Jeonnam |
16 (11.3) |
126 (88.7) |
Gyeongbuk |
44 (17.1) |
213 (82.9) |
Gyeongnam |
35 (13.6) |
222 (86.4) |
Jeju |
17 (18.7) |
74 (81.3) |
Total |
631 (12.8) |
4,315 (87.2) |
Table 2Distribution of unmet medical needs according to general characteristics
Variable |
Unmet medical needs, n (%) |
p-value |
Yes |
No |
Total |
Sex |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
Male |
193 (9.1) |
1,937 (90.9) |
2,130 |
|
Female |
438 (15.6) |
2,378 (84.4) |
2,816 |
|
Age (y) |
|
|
|
0.005 |
19–29 |
91 (14.5) |
538 (85.5) |
629 |
|
30–39 |
106 (15.4) |
583 (84.6) |
689 |
|
40–49 |
89 (10.2) |
787 (89.8) |
876 |
|
50–59 |
124 (12.0) |
910 (88.0) |
1.034 |
|
60–69 |
102 (11.2) |
812 (88.8) |
914 |
|
≥ 70 |
119 (14.8) |
685 (85.2) |
804 |
|
Education |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
Elementary school level or lower |
198 (17.4) |
937 (82.6) |
1,135 |
|
Middle school |
80 (14.9) |
456 (85.1) |
536 |
|
High school |
187 (11.2) |
1,482 (88.8) |
1,669 |
|
College level or higher |
166 (10.3) |
1,440 (89.7) |
1,606 |
|
Marital status |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
With spouse |
383 (11.1) |
3,063 (88.9) |
3,446 |
|
Bereaved/divorced |
128 (18.4) |
566 (81.6) |
694 |
|
Single |
120 (14.9) |
686 (85.1) |
806 |
|
Region |
|
|
|
0.004 |
Urban |
487 (12.1) |
3,535 (87.9) |
4,022 |
|
Rural |
144 (15.6) |
780 (84.4) |
924 |
|
Income level |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
1st quartile (lowest) |
168 (18.4) |
744 (81.6) |
912 |
|
2nd quartile |
148 (12.2) |
1,065 (87.8) |
1,213 |
|
3rd quartile |
176 (12.9) |
1,192 (87.1) |
1,368 |
|
4th quartile (highest) |
139 (9.6) |
1,314 (90.4) |
1,453 |
|
Insurance type |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
National health |
577 (12.3) |
4,122 (87.7) |
4,699 |
|
Medicare |
49 (26.3) |
137 (73.7) |
186 |
|
Others |
5 (8.2) |
56 (91.8) |
61 |
|
Private health insurance |
|
|
|
0.001 |
Yes |
442 (11.9) |
3,284 (88.1) |
3,726 |
|
No |
189 (15.5) |
1,031 (84.5) |
1,220 |
|
Economic activity |
|
|
|
0.188 |
Yes |
359 (12.2) |
2,574 (87.8) |
2,933 |
|
No |
272 (13.5) |
1,741 (86.5) |
2,013 |
|
Total |
631 (12.8) |
4,315 (87.2) |
4,946 |
|
Table 3Distribution of unmet medical needs according to lifestyle and health status
Variable |
Unmet medical needs, n (%) |
p-value |
Yes |
No |
Total |
Alcohol drinking |
|
|
|
0.120 |
Yes |
320 (12.1) |
2,331 (87.9) |
2,651 |
|
No |
311 (13.6) |
1,984 (86.4) |
2,295 |
|
Smoking status |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
Current smoker |
120 (14.3) |
717 (85.7) |
837 |
|
Former smoker |
84 (7.7) |
1,007 (92.3) |
1,.091 |
|
Non-smoker |
427 (14.1) |
2,591 (85.9) |
3,018 |
|
Self-reported health status |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
Good |
103 (7.1) |
1,353 (92.9) |
1,456 |
|
Moderate |
279 (11.2) |
2,212 (88.8) |
2,491 |
|
Poor |
249 (24.9) |
750 (75.1) |
999 |
|
Stress awareness |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
Rarely |
355 (9.8) |
3,252 (90.2) |
3,607 |
|
Often |
276 (20.6) |
1,063 (79.4) |
1,339 |
|
Cancer |
|
|
|
0.221 |
Yes |
27 (10.3) |
235 (89.7) |
262 |
|
No |
604 (12.9) |
4,080 (87.1) |
4,684 |
|
No. of chronic diseases |
|
|
|
< 0.001 |
0 |
181 (10.3) |
1,575 (89.7) |
1,756 |
|
1 |
165 (12.4) |
1,166 (87.6) |
1,331 |
|
≥ 2 |
285 (15.3) |
1,574 (84.7) |
1,859 |
|
Total |
631 (12.8) |
4,315 (87.2) |
4,946 |
|
Table 4Factors influencing unmet medical needs among Korean adults (n = 4,946)
Variable |
Unmet medical needs |
p-value |
OR |
95% CI |
Sex |
Male |
1 |
|
|
Female |
1.630 |
1.250–2.126 |
< 0.001 |
Age (y) |
19–29 |
1 |
|
|
30–39 |
1.137 |
0.765–1.690 |
0.526 |
40–49 |
0.655 |
0.423–1.012 |
0.057 |
50–59 |
0.653 |
0.415–1.027 |
0.065 |
60–69 |
0.514 |
0.313–0.846 |
0.009 |
≥ 70 |
0.542 |
0.315–0.934 |
0.027 |
Education |
College level or higher |
1 |
|
|
High school |
1.101 |
0.861–1.407 |
0.443 |
Middle school |
1.667 |
1.170–2.376 |
0.005 |
Elementary school level or lower |
1.664 |
1.176–2.355 |
0.004 |
Marital status |
With spouse |
1 |
|
|
Bereaved/divorced |
1.193 |
0.917–1.551 |
0.188 |
Single |
1.156 |
0.810–1.649 |
0.425 |
Region |
Urban |
1 |
|
|
Rural |
1.329 |
1.068–1.653 |
0.011 |
Income level |
4th quartile (highest) |
1 |
|
|
3rd quartile |
1.251 |
0.976–1.603 |
0.077 |
2nd quartile |
1.128 |
0.862–1.475 |
0.380 |
1st quartile (lowest) |
1.548 |
1.129–2.123 |
0.007 |
Insurance type |
National health |
1 |
|
|
Medicare |
1.255 |
0.842–1.871 |
0.264 |
Others |
0.331 |
0.128–0.856 |
0.023 |
Private health insurance |
Yes |
1 |
|
|
No |
1.125 |
0.883–1.434 |
0.341 |
Economic activity |
Yes |
1 |
|
|
No |
0.864 |
0.709–1.053 |
0.148 |
Alcohol drinking |
Yes |
1 |
|
|
No |
0.866 |
0.713–1.052 |
0.146 |
Smoking status |
Non-smoker |
1 |
|
|
Former smoker |
0.726 |
0.535–0.985 |
0.040 |
Current smoker |
1.122 |
0.834–1.508 |
0.447 |
Self-reported health status |
Good |
1 |
|
|
Moderate |
1.428 |
1.119–1.823 |
0.004 |
Poor |
3.179 |
2.418–4.180 |
< 0.001 |
Stress awareness |
Rarely |
1 |
|
|
Often |
1.843 |
1.529–2.221 |
< 0.001 |
Cancer |
Yes |
1 |
|
|
No |
0.864 |
0.983–2.322 |
0.148 |
No. of chronic diseases |
0 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1.160 |
0.917–1.469 |
0.216 |
≥ 2 |
1.146 |
0.895–1.466 |
0.281 |