Unmet healthcare needs among older people in South Korea

This paper explores the multiple factors that determine unmet healthcare needs among older people in South Korea using the data from the 2018 Korea Health Panel Study (KHPS). 4137 participants aged 65+ were identified. To analyse group differences in categorical variables, the Rao-Scott Chi-square test was used. Logistic regression analysis was further conducted to assess factors associated with unmet healthcare needs. The prevalence of unmet healthcare needs was 14.4%. Of these, a key reason was financial difficulties (4.4%). Key factors associated with unmet needs include living in rural areas, low education, unemployment, lack of insurance, low income, smoking, chronic conditions, depressive symptoms, visual and memory impairments, and poor self-rated health. The findings indicate that it is important to identify the barriers that impede healthcare accessibility and the relationship between health-related factors, socioeconomic factors, and unmet healthcare needs among older people because medical needs of older people are more varied compared to other age groups. As the ageing population is increasing rapidly, it is important to provide preventive services for older people so that it can reduce the chronic diseases in an aged society.