Determining the reasons for unmet healthcare needs in South Korea: a secondary data analysis

Jung, Boyoung; Ha, In-Hyuk

doi:10.1186/s12955-021-01737-5

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Table 2 Sociodemographic characteristics of the study population by sex (KNHANES 2013–2017)

From: Determining the reasons for unmet healthcare needs in South Korea: a secondary data analysis

	Men						Women
	Total	No		Yes		p†	Total	No		Yes		p†
	N	n	(%)^a	n	(%)^a		N	n	(%)^a	n	(%)^a
Total	18,216,345	16,685,501	91.6	1,530,845	8.4		18,942,760	16,397,734	86.6	2,545,026	13.4
Age (years)
19–39	7,134,247	6,454,879	90.5	679,368	9.5	.002	6,729,728	5,815,876	86.4	913,851	13.6	< .001
40–59	7,397,520	6,797,499	91.9	600,021	8.1		7,574,482	6,690,238	88.3	884,244	11.7
≥ 60	3,684,579	3,433,123	93.2	251,456	6.8		4,638,551	3,891,620	83.9	746,931	16.1
Marital status
Married and cohabiting	12,153,503	11,199,408	92.1	954,095	7.9	.005	12,472,117	10,964,171	87.9	1,507,946	12.1	< .001
Married but not cohabiting, or bereaved or divorced	952,475	834,613	87.6	117,862	12.4		3,038,706	2,488,206	81.9	550,500	18.1
Unmarried	5,110,367	4,651,479	91.0	458,888	9.0		3,431,937	2,945,357	85.8	486,580	14.2
Number of family members
1	1,591,858	1,403,956	88.2	187,902	11.8	.001	1,733,710	1,399,696	80.7	334,014	19.3	< .001
2	4,332,376	4,020,407	92.8	311,969	7.2		4,626,732	4,034,561	87.2	592,171	12.8
3	5,039,486	4,572,429	90.7	467,057	9.3		5,253,312	4,536,896	86.4	716,416	13.6
4	5,425,420	4,996,671	92.1	428,749	7.9		5,208,615	4,608,789	88.5	599,826	11.5
≥ 5	1,827,206	1,692,037	92.6	135,168	7.4		2,120,391	1,817,791	85.7	302,600	14.3
Family type
Solo	1,591,858	1,403,956	88.2	187,902	11.8	.002	1,733,710	1,399,696	80.7	334,014	19.3	< .001
1st generation	3,627,903	3,370,651	92.9	257,253	7.1		3,424,477	2,990,585	87.3	433,891	12.7
2nd generation	11,622,273	10,653,148	91.7	969,125	8.3		11,934,761	10,455,630	87.6	1,479,130	12.4
3rd generation or higher	1,374,311	1,257,746	91.5	116,565	8.5		1,849,813	1,551,822	83.9	297,991	16.1
Education level
Elementary school or lower	1,919,911	1,725,704	89.9	194,208	10.1	.031	4,052,135	3,300,280	81.4	751,855	18.6	< .001
Middle school	1,614,136	1,476,394	91.5	137,743	8.5		1,739,105	1,498,772	86.2	240,333	13.8
High school	7,092,204	6,459,846	91.1	632,358	8.9		6,544,948	5,762,870	88.1	782,078	11.9
College or higher	7,590,094	7,023,558	92.5	566,536	7.5		6,606,572	5,835,812	88.3	770,760	11.7
Region
Seoul	3,712,026	3,429,116	92.4	282,910	7.6	.212	3,957,342	3,451,044	87.2	506,298	12.8	.574
Metro	4,379,973	4,029,841	92.0	350,132	8.0		4,656,018	4,033,340	86.6	622,678	13.4
Rural	10,124,346	9,226,543	91.1	897,803	8.9		10,329,400	8,913,350	86.3	1,416,050	13.7
Employment status
Unemployed	4,465,236	4,143,690	92.8	321,546	7.2	.022	9,248,403	8,056,557	87.1	1,191,846	12.9	.111
Employed	13,751,109	12,541,811	91.2	1,209,299	8.8		9,694,357	8,341,177	86.0	1,353,180	14.0
Income^b
1Q (lowest)	4,550,538	4,115,607	90.4	434,930	9.6	.017	4,701,072	3,866,590	82.2	834,483	17.8	< .001
2Q	4,548,682	4,153,534	91.3	395,148	8.7		4,738,686	4,088,322	86.3	650,364	13.7
3Q	4,512,661	4,126,987	91.5	385,674	8.5		4,733,493	4,127,687	87.2	605,805	12.8
4Q (highest)	4,604,465	4,289,372	93.2	315,093	6.8		4,769,509	4,315,135	90.5	454,374	9.5
Occupation
White collar	5,675,473	5,225,634	92.1	449,840	7.9	.026	4,210,948	3,697,355	87.8	513,592	12.2	.001
Pink collar	2,157,717	1,986,487	92.1	171,230	7.9		2,787,396	2,415,371	86.7	372,024	13.3
Blue collar	5,157,143	4,647,831	90.1	509,312	9.9		2,234,315	1,856,211	83.1	378,104	16.9
Unemployed or other	5,226,012	4,825,549	92.3	400,463	7.7		9,710,102	8,428,797	86.8	1,281,306	13.2
Medical Insurance type
NHI	17,520,008	16,080,991	91.8	1,439,016	8.2	.025	18,075,601	15,743,253	87.1	2,332,347	12.9	< .001
Medicaid	494,275	430,209	87.0	64,066	13.0		646,528	474,806	73.4	171,722	26.6
No/do not know	202,063	174,300	86.3	27,762	13.7		220,631	179,675	81.4	40,956	18.6
Private insurance
Yes	14,384,239	13,223,721	91.9	1,160,517	8.1	.094	15,011,361	13,156,749	87.6	1,854,612	12.4	< .001
No	3,638,702	3,284,231	90.3	354,471	9.7		3,771,901	3,104,828	82.3	667,073	17.7
Do not know	193,404	177,548	91.8	15,856	8.2		159,498	136,157	85.4	23,341	14.6
Smoking history
Non-smoker	4,504,920	4,195,041	93.1	309,879	6.9	< .001	16,636,672	14,478,079	87.0	2,158,593	13.0	< .001
Past smoker	6,460,273	6,014,161	93.1	446,113	6.9		1,120,625	959,229	85.6	161,396	14.4
Current smoker	7,251,152	6,476,300	89.3	774,853	10.7		1,185,463	960,426	81.0	225,038	19.0
Alcohol consumption
Never drink	2,633,850	2,430,482	92.3	203,368	7.7	.544	6,116,013	5,184,505	84.8	931,508	15.2	< .001
Less than 1 time per month	2,040,101	1,872,840	91.8	167,261	8.2		4,465,941	3,957,458	88.6	508,483	11.4
1–4 times per month	7,012,060	6,386,257	91.1	625,803	8.9		6,068,744	5,279,258	87.0	789,486	13.0
≥ 5 times per month	6,530,334	5,995,922	91.8	534,412	8.2		2,292,062	1,976,513	86.2	315,549	13.8
Body mass index
Normal (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25)	10,540,097	9,671,147	91.8	868,950	8.2	.168	12,549,645	10,972,946	87.4	1,576,699	12.6	.001
Underweight (BMI < 18.5)	510,387	448,310	87.8	62,077	12.2		1,174,258	978,254	83.3	196,005	16.7
Obese (BMI ≥ 25)	7,165,862	6,566,044	91.6	599,817	8.4		5,218,856	4,446,534	85.2	772,323	14.8
Exercise
None	16,706,537	15,445,099	92.4	1,261,438	7.6	< .001	16,274,205	14,414,380	88.6	1,859,825	11.4	< .001
Mild	1,456,613	1,203,825	82.6	252,789	17.4		2,523,305	1,899,396	75.3	623,909	24.7
High	53,195	36,577	68.8	16,618	31.2		145,250	83,958	57.8	61,292	42.2
Stress level
High	4,646,371	3,975,432	85.6	670,939	14.4	< .001	5,380,940	4,288,734	79.7	1,092,207	20.3	< .001
Moderate	10,652,409	9,903,651	93.0	748,758	7.0		10,725,638	9,520,775	88.8	1,204,863	11.2
Low	2,822,867	2,717,241	96.3	105,626	3.7		2,713,771	2,483,941	91.5	229,830	8.5
None	94,698	89,177	94.2	5,521	5.8		122,410	104,284	85.2	18,126	14.8
Self-rated health status
Very good/good	6,366,031	6,067,433	95.3	298,597	4.7	< .001	5,168,004	4,835,422	93.6	332,582	6.4	< .001
Fair	9,202,108	8,432,601	91.6	769,507	8.4		9,947,397	8,705,500	87.5	1,241,897	12.5
Poor/very poor	2,648,207	2,185,466	82.5	462,741	17.5		3,827,359	2,856,812	74.6	970,547	25.4
Pain
None	15,243,143	14,284,214	93.7	958,930	6.3	< .001	13,975,362	12,620,501	90.3	1,354,861	9.7	< .001
Mild	2,775,714	2,247,400	81.0	528,313	19.0		4,494,769	3,470,452	77.2	1,024,317	22.8
Severe	197,488	153,887	77.9	43,602	22.1		472,629	306,781	64.9	165,848	35.1
Depression
None	16,948,918	15,666,651	92.4	1,282,267	7.6	< .001	16,579,396	14,703,608	88.7	1,875,788	11.3	< .001
Mild	1,202,449	976,826	81.2	225,623	18.8		2,184,118	1,593,660	73.0	590,458	27.0
Severe	64,978	42,023	64.7	22,955	35.3		179,245	100,466	56.0	78,779	44.0

A chi-square test was performed to determine the differences between groups with and without unmet needs
NHI National Health Insurance, Q quartile
^aWeighted (%)
^bIncome divided by quartile

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ISSN: 1477-7525

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