Intergenerational Differences in Factors Affecting Unmet Health Care Needs in South Korea: Comparison of Middle-aged and Older Adults

ABSTRACT

This study analyzed influencing factors of unmet health care needs for both middle-aged and older adults in Korea. Using the 2016–2018 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, a logistic regression analysis was conducted and found that sex, subjective health, and depression affected the unmet health care needs of middle-aged people while sex, subjective health, depression, national health insurance system, and smoking behaviors affected the unmet health care needs of older adults. This study contributes to establishing preventive and continuous policies to address unmet health care needs for both middle-aged and older adults.

KEYWORDS:

• baby boomer
• middle-aged
• older adults
• South Korea
• unmet health care needs

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the study protocol for 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (IRB number: 2018-01-03-P-A). For this survey, written informed consent was provided by all the participants.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea [NRF-2016-S1A3A2924582].