Factors Relating Utilization of Health Care Facilities in Rural Mountainous Region
10.2185/jjrm.62.929
- VernacularTitle:中山間地域における生活習慣病患者の二次医療圏外受療行動に関する研究
- Author:
Miwako TAKEDA
;
Tsuyoshi HAMANO
;
Yoshinari KIMURA
;
Masayuki YAMASAKI
;
Kuninori SHIWAKU
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine
2014;62(6):929-940
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
Health care plan has been established in each secondary medical area. Although health care plan should be focused on needs of people live in such units, studies with a view from residents’ perspective have not always been considered adequately. The aim of this study was to examine the factors that effect on utilization of health care facilities located outside of the secondary medical area in a rural region. The data included 515 patients with hypertension, 253 patients with hyperlipidemia, and 104 patients with diabetes. Factors relating utilization of health care facilities were assessed by age, sex, employment, number of diseases, body mass index (BMI), carotid plaque score, HbA1c, distance to the nearest clinic, and distance to the nearest bus stop. We conducted a logistic regression analyses of that data divided into two groups; car use and non car use. The result showed that sex, BMI, carotid plaque score and distance to the nearest bus stop were statistically significantly associated with the utilization of health care facilities located outside of the secondary medical area in patients with car use. Whereas, there were no statistically significantly associations in patients with non car use. Our findings suggested that it is important to consider health utilization of patients with lifestyle related diseases for making sustainable health care plan.
