AUTHOR=Kwon Younggyu , Sohn Minsung , Choi Mankyu 

TITLE=Unmet healthcare needs and the local extinction index: an analysis of regional disparities impacting South Korea’s older adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1423108

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1423108

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>This study examines the factors affecting unmet healthcare experiences by integrating individual-and community-level extinction indices.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>Using spatial autocorrelation and multilevel modeling, the study utilizes data from the Community Health Survey and Statistics Korea for 218 local government regions from 2018 to 2019.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>The analysis identifies significant clustering, particularly in non-metropolitan regions with a higher local extinction index. At the individual level, some factors affect unmet medical needs, and unmet healthcare needs increase as the local extinction index at the community level increases.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>The findings underscore the need for strategic efforts to enhance regional healthcare accessibility, particularly for vulnerable populations and local infrastructure development.</p></sec>