Access Disparity and Health Inequality of the Elderly: Unmet Needs and Delayed Healthcare

Tetsuji Yamada, Chia-Ching Chen, Chiyoe Murata, Hiroshi Hirai, Toshiyuki Ojima, Katsunori Kondo and Joseph R. Harris
Additional contact information
Tetsuji Yamada: Department of Economics, Center for Children and Childhood Studies, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, 311 North 5th Street, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
Chia-Ching Chen: Department of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Health Sciences & Practice, New York Medical College, 95 Grasslands Rd., Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
Chiyoe Murata: Department of Social Science, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, 35 Gengo, Morioka cho, Obu-shi, Aichi-ken, 474-8511 Japan
Hiroshi Hirai: Department of Civil Environmental Engineering, Iwate University, 4-3-5, Ueda, Morioka-shi, Iwate-ken, 020-8551 Japan
Toshiyuki Ojima: Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama Higashiku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken, 431-3192 Japan
Katsunori Kondo: Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuou-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba-ken, 260-8670 Japan
Joseph R. Harris: Department of Public Policy and Administration, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, 311 North 5th Street, Camden, NJ 08102, USA

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-28

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate healthcare access disparity that will cause delayed and unmet healthcare needs for the elderly, and to examine health inequality and healthcare cost burden for the elderly. To produce clear policy applications, this study adapts a modified PRECEDE-PROCEED model for framing theoretical and experimental approaches. Data were collected from a large collection of the Community Tracking Study Household Survey 2003–2004 of the USA. Reliability and construct validity are examined for internal consistency and estimation of disparity and inequality are analyzed by using probit/ols regressions. The results show that predisposing factors (e.g., attitude, beliefs, and perception by socio-demographic differences) are negatively associated with delayed healthcare. A 10% increase in enabling factors (e.g., availability of health insurance coverage, and usual sources of healthcare providers) are significantly associated with a 1% increase in healthcare financing factors. In addition, information through a socio-economic network and support system has a 5% impact on an access disparity. Income, health status, and health inequality are exogenously determined. Designing and implementing easy healthcare accessibility (healthcare system) and healthcare financing methods, and developing a socio-economic support network (including public health information) are essential in reducing delayed healthcare and health inequality.

Keywords: unmet healthcare needs; delayed healthcare; access and health disparity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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