No abstract available.
Income ; Urease

Aging is associated with increased risk of frailty and malnutrition. However, food insecurity has rarely been highlighted in the elderly population, especially among the low income group. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between nutritional status, food insecurity and frailty among elderly in low income residences in Klang Valley. A total of 72 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above was selected (mean age 66 ± 6 years) through convenient sampling. Participants were interviewed to obtain information on socio-demographic, health status, food insecurity and cognitive status. Anthropometrics parameters and frailty assessments was measured using standard criteria. Results showed that 75.0% of the participants had abdominal obesity. Nearly half of the participants were overweight (41.7%), followed by normal (43.0%) and underweight (15.3%). With respect to food insecurity, most of them reported that they had enough food (93.1%). There were significant correlation (p < 0.05) between food insecurity with height (r = -0.263, p = 0.026). Most of the participants were pre-frail (58.3%), frail (27.8%) and followed by non-frail (13.9%). Calcium intake is inversely associated with frailty (t = -2.62, p = 0.011). In conclusion, food insecurity was not a problem, however, half of the subjects were overweight and pre-frail. Three out four subjects had abdominal obesity. There is a need to investigate further the pathogenesis of fat frail in this low income elderly population and formulate effective intervention strategies.
Aged ; Income

ASEAN Neurology Association (ASNA) consists of 9 member countries, Brunei, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Among them 2 countries are considered lower middle income, 4 as upper middle income, and 3 as high income by World Bank criteria. The life expectancy is above 75 years in Brunei and Singapore, below 60 years in Lao and Myanmar. There are a total of 1,871 neurologists in ASNA member countries which has a total of 540 million populations. This constitutes 2.2% of the world neurologists, although ASNA member countries accounts for 8.3% of the world population. Myanmar and Lao in particular, has lowest ratio of neurologist, with one neurologist serving 5 million populations in Myanmar, and 2 million populations in Lao.
Myanmar ; member ; Neurology ; Income ; Neurologist

BACKGROUND: Worldwide trends in health risks, lifestyle behaviors, health perceptions, and health-seeking patterns suggest alarming disparities among individuals from low- and middle-income countries. Such international comparisons are particularly troubling for older individuals (≥60 years). OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare health risks, lifestyle behaviors, health perceptions, and health-seeking patterns between younger (<60) and older (≥60) Filipinos from rural communities in the Philippines. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was employed with 863 younger and 427 older Filipinos. Data were analyzed using frequencies, chi-squares, and T-tests. RESULTS: Older participants were more likely to be single/widowed, ≤ high school education and had higher rates of hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression. They reported poorer health status and went to the village health center when sick. Furthermore, they were less likely to drink alcohol and see a physician. CONCLUSION There were significant differences in modifiable health risks and lifestyle behaviors and differences in health perceptions between younger and older cohorts of Filipinos living in rural areas in the Philippines. Our findings suggest the need to design separate health promotion interventions that target older and younger Filipinos' unique needs from rural communities.
Low-Middle-Income Countries ; Aging ; Cross-sectional ; Population Health ; Philippines

OBJECTIVETo describe factors causing the delay of diagnosis among non-resident tuberculosis (TB) patients and to study its implications from demographic, socio-economic aspects in order to provide information to policy makers for TB control programs in Shanghai.

METHODSA historical cohort study through questionnaire interview was conducted in 146 newly diagnosed TB patients. The questionnaire covered the general information of subjects and information on patients' health care seeking experiences from the first symptom to the TB diagnosis in health facilities. Index adopted to reflect the access to TB diagnosis would include the days due to delayed diagnosis consisting the days from both patient's and doctor's responsibilities.

RESULTSThe median days due to patients' delay was 19 (7-33.5) days, which was 3.8 times longer than 5 (2.5-10) days caused by doctor's. The median of total diagnostic delay was 31 (11-59) days. Female TB patients, patients with lower than annual 5000 Yuan income had an increased risk of a longer diagnostic delay with an OR of 3.226 and 11.958 relatively. Smear positive patients had a shorter delay (OR = 0.280, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDelayed diagnosis was mostly caused by the patients, suggesting that TB control strategy for non-residents should aim at improving the access to TB diagnosis among patients with lower income and female non-residents.

China ; Data Collection ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Female ; Humans ; Income ; Male ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Tuberculosis ; diagnosis ; economics

OBJECTIVETo study the self-consciousness of children with learning disabilities (LD) and to identify related factors.

METHODSFive hundred and sixty pupils graded from 1 to 6 in an elementary school were investigated. According to the pupil rating scale revised screening for learning disabilities (PRS), combined Raven's test (CRT) and achievement of main courses, 35 of 560 pupils were diagnosed as LD children. Thirty-five children were selected from the average children and 35 from advanced children in academic achievement equally matched in class, gender, and age with LD children as control groups. The three groups were tested by Piers-Harris children's self-concept scale. Basic information of each subject was collected by self-made questionnaire.

RESULTSCompared with the average and advanced children, LD children got significantly lower scores in self-concept scale. Based on logistic regression analysis, 3 factors were identified, including family income per month, single child and delivery model.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that self-consciousness of children with LD is lower than that of normal children.

Child ; Extraction, Obstetrical ; Humans ; Income ; Learning Disorders ; diagnosis ; Obstetrical Forceps ; Only Child ; Risk Factors ; Self Concept

OBJECTIVES: Despite various government initiatives, including the expansion of national health insurance coverage, health inequality has been a key health policy issue in South Korea during the past decade. This study describes and compares the extent of the total health inequality and the income-related health inequality over time among Korean adults. METHODS: This study employs the 1998, 2001 and 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANESs). The self-assessed health (SAH) ordinal responses, measured on a five-point scale, rescaled to cardinal values to measure the health inequalities with using interval regression. The boundaries of each threshold for the interval regression analysis were obtained from the empirical distribution of the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) valuation weights estimated from the 2005 KNHANES. The final model predicting the individuals' health status included age, gender, educational attainment, occupation, income, and the regional prosperity index. The concentration index was used to measure and analyze the health inequality. RESULTS: The KNHANES data showed an unequal distribution of the total health inequality in favor of the higher income groups, and this is getting worse over time (0.0327 in 1998, 0.0393 in 2001 and 0.0924 in 2005). The income-related health inequality in 2005 was 0.0278, indicating that 30.1% of the total health inequality can be attributed to income. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate there are health inequalities across the sociodemographic and income groups despite the recent government's efforts. Further research is warranted to investigate what potential policy actions are necessary to decrease the health inequality in Korea.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; *Health Status Disparities ; Humans ; Income ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study discussed dental care utilization efficiency and equity from the perspective of private health insurance policy using the 2011 Korea Health Panel dataset. METHODS: A total of 10,577 subjects, aged 20 years or older, were selected from a larger sample (N=18,256). The study conducted a two-part model analysis to determine the impact of private health insurance on utilization and amount of dental care. RESULTS: Average monthly payment of private health insurance is 76,727 KRW. Analysis of average monthly fees and income distribution by quartile showed that higher income groups pay proportionally more for private health insurance. The highest income group was 3.82 times more likely to have private health insurance than the lowest income group. Those with private health insurance coverage had a higher probability of using dental care but were not more likely to use a greater number of dental services. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these empirical findings, a guarantee of health care system and policy equity and efficiency should be established for changes in private health insurance.
Dataset ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Care* ; Fees and Charges ; Income ; Insurance, Health* ; Korea

BACKGROUND: We conducted this study to investigate the financial burden of terminal cancer patient's family and to identify factors influencing their economic burden. METHODS: We approached 187 family members supporting their famly member with terminal cancer who was enrolled in four hospice and palliative care program. We constructed a questionnaire examining the impact of illness on their family. With multiple logistic analysis, we examined the patients' and family members' demographic and the patients' clinical factors associated with the burden caused by terminal cancer. RESULTS: The majority of families reported the loss of savings (54%), the need to make major life changes in order to care for the patient (50%), the loss of incomes (34%), the inability to function normally because of the stress of the illness (27%). Many families had to move to a less expensive home (18%), delay medical care for other family members (12%), or change educational plans for other family members (13%). Families that cared for patients who wanted to be cared for at institution (odds ratio: 2.72, 95% confidential interval: 1.19~6.19), patients with liver cancer (3.61, 1.53~8.57), and families who were poor caregivers (2.97, 1.24~7.10), or primary caregiver was a spouse (3.57, 1.47~8.68) were more likely to lose savings. Families that were in 'new couple' in family life cycle stages (3.91, 1.04~14.63), 'birth of the first child' (8.34, 2.74~25.32), and 'the adolescent family or the launching family' (10.56, 4.07~27.33), were more likely to lose savings than 'the empty family or the aging family'. CONCLUSION: Many families reported severe caregiving and economic burdens. Social and financial support need to be given to families with predictors of high economic burdens.
Adolescent ; Aging ; Caregivers ; Climacteric ; Financial Support ; Hospices ; Humans ; Income ; Liver Neoplasms ; Palliative Care ; Spouses ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Vietnam has pursued universal health insurance coverage for two decades but has yet to fully achieve this goal. This paper investigates the barriers to achieve universal coverage and examines the validity of facilitating factors to shorten the transitional period in Vietnam. A comparative study of facilitating factors toward universal coverage of Vietnam and Korea reveals significant internal forces for Vietnam to further develop the National Health Insurance Program. Korea in 1977 and Vietnam in 2009 have common characteristics to be favorable of achieving universal coverage with similarities of level of income, highly qualified administrative ability, tradition of solidarity, and strong political leadership although there are differences in distribution of population and structure of the economy. From a comparative perspective, Vietnam can consider the experience of Korea in implementing the mandatory enrollment approach, household unit of eligibility, design of contribution and benefit scheme, and resource allocation to health insurance for sustainable government subsidy to achieve and sustain the universal coverage of health insurance.
Eligibility Determination ; Humans ; Income ; National Health Programs/*economics ; Republic of Korea ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Universal Coverage/*economics ; Vietnam