Timely access to secondary pediatric services in Korea: a key to reducing child and adolescent mortality

• 영문명: Timely access to secondary pediatric services in Korea: a key to reducing child and adolescent mortality
• 발행기관: 한국역학회
• 저자명: Minku Kang Young June Choe Hye Sook Min Saerom Kim Seung-Ah Choe
• 간행물 정보: 『Epidemiology and Health』46, 1~5쪽, 전체 5쪽
• 주제분류: 의약학 > 면역학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2024.01.31

국문 초록

OBJECTIVES: Geographic disparities in access to secondary pediatric care remain a significant issue in countries with universal health coverage, including Korea. This study investigated the link between geographic access to secondary pediatric care and mortality rates in children and adolescents (0-19 years) in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed district-level data to assess the percentage of those aged 0-19 years residing outside of a 60-minute travel radius from the nearest secondary pediatric care provider (accessibility vulnerability index, AVI). RESULTS: The AVI ranged from 0% to 100% across the districts for the study period. The confidence interval (CI) was -0.30 (95% CI, -0.41 to -0.19) in 2017 and -0.41 (95% CI, -0.52 to -0.30) in 2021, indicating that the proportion of those who could not access care within 60 minutes was disproportionately higher in districts with lower socioeconomic status. We found 8% rise in mortality rates among individuals aged 0-19 years for every 10% increase in AVI (95% CI, 1.06 to 1.10). CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights disparities in pediatric care access and their impact on child survival, emphasizing the need for improved access to achieve true universal health coverage.

목차

INTRODUCTION

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

NOTES

REFERENCES

키워드

Pediatrics Child Adolescent Mortality