Socio-Demographic Correlates of Barriers to Access Healthcare Services among Children in Post-Communist Albania

Iris Mone, Suela Vasil, Albano Alia, Sonela Xinxo, Kliton Muça and Genc Burazeri ()
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Iris Mone: Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, 8185 Tirana, Albania
Suela Vasil: “Schools for Health”, a Project of the Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC) Agency, Rr. “Mihal Popi”, 8185 Tirana, Albania
Albano Alia: “Schools for Health”, a Project of the Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC) Agency, Rr. “Mihal Popi”, 8185 Tirana, Albania
Sonela Xinxo: Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, 8185 Tirana, Albania
Kliton Muça: “Schools for Health”, a Project of the Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC) Agency, Rr. “Mihal Popi”, 8185 Tirana, Albania
Genc Burazeri: Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Rr. “Dibres”, No. 371, 8185 Tirana, Albania

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Access to healthcare services is an essential component of promoting public health and sustainable development. Our aim was to assess socio-demographic correlates of barriers to accessing healthcare services among children in Albania, a post-communist country in Europe. An online survey was conducted in September 2022, including a nationwide representative sample of 7831 school children (≈54% girls) ranging from grades six to nine from all regions of Albania. A structured and anonymous questionnaire was administered to all children inquiring about a range of potential barriers to accessing healthcare services. Overall, about 42% of the children reported that they had barriers to accessing healthcare services. There were no gender differences, but there were significant ethnic differences (51% among Roma/Egyptian children vs. 42% among the general sample of the children); urban/rural differences (46% rural vs. 39% urban); and socio-economic differences (52% among children with a lower maternal education vs. 31% among children with a higher maternal education; 66% among children from poor families vs. 35% among children with a higher family income). In transitional Albania, children residing in rural areas, children from Roma and/or Egyptian communities, and especially those pertinent to low socio-economic families report considerably more barriers to accessing healthcare services, which is a cause of concern.

Keywords: access to healthcare; Albania; barriers; children; school children; socio-demographic factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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