• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2022

This study adopted the descriptive survey research method. The population of this study comprised of the hearing impaired students in selected government secondary schools in Rivers state. The population of hearing impaired students in Rivers State is 257. A simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 159. A self-developed instrument titled "Availability and Utilization of Library Information Resources Questionnaire (AULIRQ)" was utilized for data collection. 153 responses were collated, indicating a 96.2% response rate. The data collected was arranged and analyzed using frequency count, percentages, and mean and standard deviation. Finding reveals that information resources in the libraries understudied were inadequate and under-utilized. Also, it was established that among other barriers, under-funding is a major barrier to making information resources available for the physically challenged. It was recommended that schools offering special education for the hearing impaired should pace up in their developmental gap by providing such resources and ensure adequate funding by all stakeholders.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.251-266
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• 2007

Even on the point that the 3rd National GIS project is being executed following the completion of the 1st and 2nd, the National GIS utilization is still very low. It is well reasonable to anticipate that the utilization will grow much higher, as the national spatial data infrastructure had been almost equipped through the 1st and 2nd project periods. Facing the ubiquitous era, in particular, as the national-level GIS demand is to increase to a great extent, pre-established GIS application scope will become much wider, too. In preparation for these, the current study focused on the National GIS utilization system by reviewing on the execution procedures to evaluate the outcomes. For the actual administration procedures, to note, the National GIS utilization statuses by local municipalities were investigated in depth. And the barriers for the National GIS utilization enhancement were analyzed to look for feasible solutions. The results suggested were aimed to contribute to the amendment of the 3rd Master Plan, and to be used as part of the basic data for the establishment of the 4th Master Plan for the National GIS.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.237-248
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine and explain the extent of income-related inequity in health care utilization and expenditures to compare the extent in 2005 and 2010 in Korea. Methods: We employed the concentration indices and the horizontal inequity index proposed by Wagstaff and van Doorslaer based on one- and two-part models. This study was conducted using data from the 2005 and 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We examined health care utilization and expenditures for different types of health care providers, including health centers, physician clinics, hospitals, general hospitals, dental care, and licensed traditional medical practitioners. Results: The results show the equitable distribution of overall health care utilization with pro-poor tendencies and modest pro-rich inequity in the amount of medical expenditures in 2010. For the decomposition analysis, non-need variables such as income, education, private insurance, and occupational status have contributed considerably to pro-rich inequality in health care over the period between 2005 and 2010. Conclusions: We found that health care utilization in Korea in 2010 was fairly equitable, but the poor still have some barriers to accessing primary care and continuing to receive medical care.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.144-152
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• 2016

Purpose: This study compares beneficiaries of Korean Medicaid with those under the National Health Insurance program, seeking to understand how each group utilizes their healthcare. Methods: Data were obtained from a Health Promotion Survey in 2005. Health status was measured by the respondents' perception of health. Health service utilization included the availability of healthcare services, the type of healthcare institution, and intent to revisit. Predisposing and enabling factors, as well as health care needs were used for this study. Results: Compared to National Health Insurance beneficiaries, Medicaid beneficiaries reported lower levels of health status and fewer enabling factors. They had more chronic diseases and disabilities. Education level, existence of chronic diseases, exercise patterns, and disabilities were associated with health status. Conclusion: We found that Medicaid beneficiaries had fewer resources and higher levels of health needs. As Medicaid is reformed, policy makers and administrators should understand healthcare utilization behaviors of Medicaid beneficiaries and the factors hindering access to care.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify effects of breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and barriers on breastfeeding practice on twin mothers and to provide basic data for successful breastfeeding for twins. Methods: Participants were 151 mothers with two to twelve months-old twins. Data were collected from online support groups by an online survey. Results: Mean score for breastfeeding knowledge was $18.34{\pm}4.63$, for breastfeeding attitude was $3.61{\pm}0.51$, and for barriers to breastfeeding was $13.35{\pm}1.08$. The breastfeeding practice rate was 27.8% when twins were two months old. The breastfeeding knowledge was significantly different depending on mother's occupation, number of children, utilization of postpartum caretaker, and age of the children. There were significant differences in the breastfeeding attitude depending on gestational week of twins, planned length of the breastfeeding, and decision period for the breastfeeding. The practice of the breastfeeding was significantly different depending on the number of children. Factors influencing the breastfeeding practice were the breastfeeding attitude (p<.05), age of mother (p<.01), and the number of children (p<.01). Conclusion: An educational program and expert-led supportive system that is designed for twins are necessary, and they need to be included in prenatal care in order to have positive attitude for the breastfeeding as well as to breastfeed successfully.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.29-46
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• 2006

Purpose: Since 1994, Asian Health Services, the Korean American Community Advisory Board, and the Center for Family and Community Health (University of California at Berkeley) have conducted periodic, population-based surveys on Korean American community health in Alameda County, California. The present study examines changes in health care access and utilization between 1994 and 2002 among Korean American adults in Alameda County, California. Method: We reanalyzed data from the 1994 and 2002 Korean Health Surveys. The primary variables of interest, health care access and utilization, were operationalized in terms of health insurance coverage, routine check-ups, a usual source of health care and reported barriers to health care. The frequency distribution of each indicator was calculated and its standard error was estimated using SUDAAN. The differences between 1994 and 2002 were examined with chi-square test. Results: Compared to 1994, Korean Americans in Alameda County were more likely to have health insurance coverage in 2002 (74.0% vs. 82.7%). Korean Americans in Alameda County were more likely to have received a recent (prior two years) routine health checkup in 2002 (50.4% vs. 57.2%). Health checkups increased over time for males, for adults with more than 12 years of education, and for employed adults. Also, compared to 1994, employed adults were more likely to have a usual source of health care in 2002 (66.5% vs. 78.4%). In both 1994 and 2002, high cost (58.0% vs. 47.8%) was the most commonly cited barrier to health care, and the next most frequently cited barriers were language (29.2% vs. 27.7%) and no time (29.2% vs. 30.3%). Conclusion: To improve health care utilization and health conditions, it is important to investigate factors related to health care and to monitor changing trends. Ongoing surveillance of health-related factors can contribute to the development of health education programs to reduce morbidity and mortality due to chronic disease, and thereby lead to improvements in health status among Korean Americans.

• Journal of Urban Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2019

This study examines the determinants of emergency care utilization and equity of access to care in elderly Koreans. Based on the data from the 2014 Korea Health Panel Survey, descriptive and logistic regression analysis was performed. The sample for this study was 1,313 individuals who participated in interviews. Predisposing factors such as age, sex, and education were significant determinants of emergency care utilization. Differences in need do not fully account for the original differences observed between subgroups of older Koreans. Health status was important determinant of older Koreans using emergency care services. Spending medical expense did not ameliorate the subgroup differences in the use of emergency care services. Nonetheless, spending medical expense remains a particularly important predictor of emergency care utilization. Health care reforms in Korea should continue to concentrate on insuring effective universal emergency care, implying that all older Koreans with need receive effective coverage. Future study is also needed to understand the access barriers that may exist for the selected demographic subgroups, i.e., those over 75, women, less educated persons, and those with higher medical expense.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2018

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of uninsured herbal medicine(UHM) users and the economic and social barriers of UHM utilization. Methods : We used the Korea Health Panel Data, representative national survey on medical utilization and cost, provided by National Health Insurance Service and Korea Institiute of Health and Social Affairs. The frequency analysis was used to identify the characteristics of the respondents, and the cross-analysis (${\chi}^2-test$) was used to verify the relationship between their characteristics and the usage of UHM. In order to analyze the determinants of using the UHM considering the individual's characteristics, logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted for those who used the Korean medicine (KM) outpatient service in 2015. Results : The usage of UHM was significantly lower for those (1) who's age of 20 to 65; (2) who have the university or higher education degree; (3) who live in Jeju province, and (4) who bought the herbal medicine for other health related purposes. On the other hand, the usage of UHM for those (1) who have the first quintile of household income; (2) who have the chronic respiratory disease; (3) who have been taking the medicine for health promotion purpose for more than 3 months and (4) who have purchased the food which has health promotion function was significantly higher than others. The patients who have chronic musculoskeletal diseases accounted the most among the UHM users. Conclusions : There was the considerable inequality in the usage of UHM among household income groups, which provides policy rationale for UHM to be covered by national health insurance. To facilitate the coverage expansion, restrictive covering model can be considered for children and adolescents, or for patients with muskuloskeletal diseases who have the high demand for UHM.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.513-522
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• 2019

Background: South Korea operates a Medical Aid (MA) program targeting selected low-income individuals to ensure medical service delivery to the disadvantaged while enhancing self-sufficiency of work-capable beneficiaries. However, as reasons behind welfare exits are diverse and do not always infer poverty relief or the provision of appropriate levels of health care services, this study aimed to investigate the association between changes in MA status and health care utilization. Methods: This study used the 2006 to 2015 National Health Insurance claims data. The impact of changes in annual MA status on health care utilization (yearly number of outpatient visits, inpatient visits, length of stay, and emergency department [ED] visits) was investigated using the generalized estimating equation model. Results: In 117,943 adult subjects aged 20 to 64, compared to the 'MA to MA' group, the 'MA to MA exit' group showed general decreases in utilization (outpatient visits: β=-3.93, p<0.0001; hospital admissions: relative risk [RR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.91; length of stay: β=-3.64, p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.77-0.90). Similar patterns were found in the 'MA exit to MA exit' group (outpatient visits: β=-5.72, p<0.0001; admissions: RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.94; length of stay: β=-5.87; p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.88). Likewise, in 74,747 older adult subjects aged 65 or above, the 'MA to MA exit' group showed reduced levels of utilization (outpatient visits: β=-1.51; p=0.0020), as well as the 'MA exit to MA exit' group (admissions: RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.95; length of stay: β, -5.45; p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.97). Conclusion: MA exit was associated with general decreases in health care utilization. Utilization patterns of individuals with experiences of receiving MA benefits should be monitored to promote the ideal use of health care services while preventing potential financial barriers present in accessing medical care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.20 no.2 s.22
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• pp.287-300
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• 1987

Island regions suffer from a shortage of health care in part because they are less developed, they cover a widespread area relative to the population, and due to transportation barriers. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of illness and the magnitude of medical care utilization, and to investigate the determinants of utilization in these area. The data were collected by means of a household survey conducted from February 16 to 25, 1987 on S islands which were selected in consideration of the size of the population, the distance from the main land, and the distribution of health care facilities. The household response rate was 89.1% (491 of 551 households), and 1971 persons were surveyed. The major findings of this study are as follows: 1) The morbidity rate of the island inhabitants was 27.7% during the two weeks, and 25.5 chronic illnesses and 9.1 acute illnesses per 100 persons, were noted. Differences in the magnitude of illness were statistically significant by sex, age, education, and family size. 2) The magnitude of total ambulatory carl utilization was 16.8 visits per 100 persons during the two weeks, which was less than that of other regions; and differences in the magnitude of total ambulatory care were statistically significant by sex, age, education, occupation, and family size. 3) Unmet needs were classified as 56.0% in chronic illnesses and 19.6% in acute illnesses; and differences in unmet needs were statistically significant by sex, age, education, occupation, income, and family size. 4) Statistically significant determinants in medical care utilization included the frequency of acute illness and chronic illness, and income in total utilization; the frequency of chronic illness and acute illness, and medical care insurance in physician visits. 5) According to the results of the path analysis, need factors had the greatest effect on utilization, and predisposing factors had more indirect effects through enabling or need factors than direct effects.