Changes in Access to Health Services of the Immigrant and Native-Born Population in Spain in the Context of Economic Crisis

Irene Garcia-Subirats, Ingrid Vargas, Belén Sanz-Barbero, Davide Malmusi, Elena Ronda, Mónica Ballesta and María Luisa Vázquez
Additional contact information
Irene Garcia-Subirats: Health Policy and Health Services Research Group, Health Policy Research Unit, Consorci de Salut i Social de Catalunya, Avenida Tibidabo, 21, Barcelona 08022, Spain
Ingrid Vargas: Health Policy and Health Services Research Group, Health Policy Research Unit, Consorci de Salut i Social de Catalunya, Avenida Tibidabo, 21, Barcelona 08022, Spain
Belén Sanz-Barbero: National School of Public Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avda Monforte de Lemos 5, Pabellón 7, Madrid 28029, Spain
Davide Malmusi: Sub-Program on Immigration and Health of the CIBERESP, Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3–5, Madrid 28029, Spain
Elena Ronda: Sub-Program on Immigration and Health of the CIBERESP, Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3–5, Madrid 28029, Spain
Mónica Ballesta: Sub-Program on Immigration and Health of the CIBERESP, Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3–5, Madrid 28029, Spain
María Luisa Vázquez: Health Policy and Health Services Research Group, Health Policy Research Unit, Consorci de Salut i Social de Catalunya, Avenida Tibidabo, 21, Barcelona 08022, Spain

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Aim: To analyze changes in access to health care and its determinants in the immigrant and native-born populations in Spain, before and during the economic crisis. Methods: Comparative analysis of two iterations of the Spanish National Health Survey (2006 and 2012). Outcome variables were: unmet need and use of different healthcare levels; explanatory variables: need, predisposing and enabling factors. Multivariate models were performed (1) to compare outcome variables in each group between years, (2) to compare outcome variables between both groups within each year, and (3) to determine the factors associated with health service use for each group and year. Results: unmet healthcare needs decreased in 2012 compared to 2006; the use of health services remained constant, with some changes worth highlighting, such as the decline in general practitioner visits among autochthons and a narrowed gap in specialist visits between the two populations. The factors associated with health service use in 2006 remained constant in 2012. Conclusion: Access to healthcare did not worsen, possibly due to the fact that, until 2012, the national health system may have cushioned the deterioration of social determinants as a consequence of the financial crisis. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the effects of health policy responses to the crisis after 2012.

Keywords: immigration; health care utilization; access to health care; economic crisis; Spain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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