• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.155-172
• /
• 1995

This study is an empirical analysis on the equity in the delivery of heatlh care under the Korean Medical Insurance Corporation System. The purposes of this study are to find out effects of income on the health care utiliztion and measure the income-related inequity in the distribution of health care. This study was carried out based on the fact that the health insurance program has been organized to achieve the equity objective, "equal treatment for equal needs". Of 41, 828 insured persons who had been diagnosed in the 1993 Health Screening Test and utilifzation data from 1, January 1993 through 31, December 1993 were derived from the Benefit Managment File. Inequity was measured by means of I) share approach, ii) standardization concentration curve approach, iii) inequity index, iv) test for inequity. The major findings were as follows : 1. The expenditure shares of the top two quintile groups exceeded their morbidity shares, whereas the opposite was true of the bottom three quintile groups, Which showed a positive HI$_{LG}$ inequity index, suggesting the presence of some inequity favoring the rich group. 2. Compared with other residential areas, the rural area showed the highest positive HI$_{LG}$ irrespective of need indicatior applied. 3. Standardized expenditure concentration indices adjusted by age, gender and need structure were also found to be positive, and therefore still indicated that there has been inequity favoring the rich after the standardization. 4. The Loglikelihood Ratio (LR) test for the statistical significance of income-related inequity of medical care utilization was carried out using the logistic regression model. The resulting loglikelihood ratio test statistic value was 176, which did exceed the 0.5 percent critical value of the chi-square distribution with 28 degrees of freedom, which is 50.993. Therefore, the null hypothesis of no income-related inequity of medical care utilization was rejected at the 99.5 percent confidence level. 5. The Regression based F-test has been carried out for analyzing the income-related inequity of medical expenditure in terms of age, gender, morbidity indicators as explanary variables. The hypothesis of the absence of income-relate inequity was rejected for all need indicators at the 95% confidence level.nce level.

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

• Knowledge Management Research
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.37-54
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate determinants of partner opportunism in Korean discount store distribution channels. In addition, this study also try to examine moderating role of relational learning in the relationship. This study deals with transaction specific investment asymmetry, mutual hostages, payoff inequity, cultural diversity, and goal incompatibilities as determinants of partner opportunism. For empirical testing, 293 respondents of suppliers of discount store in Korea were surveyed and the analysis utilizing partial least square model indicated that TSI asymmetry, payoff inequity, and goal incompatibilities had positive effects on partner opportunism. On the other hand, mutual hostages had negative effect on partner opportunism. In addition, relational learning had moderating effect on the relationship between TSI asymmetry, mutual hostages, and payoff inequity and partner opportunism.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.469-477
• /
• 2013

In order to investigate the influence of feed water inequity on the settling performance for parallel arranged upflow sedimentation basin in domestic G_WTP(Water Treatment Plant), CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation were employed and ADV(Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter) measurements were carried out. From the results of both CFD simulations and ADV measurements, the differences among inlet flow rates to each inlet structure make turbulent energy dissipation uneven overall sedimentation basin. Especially local velocities in the near of both side wall were observed over the design overflow rate(74.4 mm/min). Also, it was confirmed that this inequity of inlet flow would exert an serious influence on the turbidity of settled water which is out from 8 troughs. Even though experimental velocities in full scale basin about 20% higher than the simulated, the results of ADV measurement were in good accordance with those of CFD simulations.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.438-450
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of brand prestige on luxury marketing variables (patrons' perception of well-being, favorable inequity, affective commitment, and dedicational behaviors) in the luxury restaurant industry. Based on a thorough literature review, the clear definitions of each construct were established and theoretical causal relationships between the seven constructs were proposed (brand prestige, perception of well-being, favorable inequity, affective commitment, enhancement, advocacy, and brand consciousness). During this process, the moderating role of brand consciousness was also suggested. Integrating the proposed theoretical hypotheses, a structural model was created. This model was tested using the data collected from 527 luxury restaurant patrons in the United States. Data analysis revealed that brand prestige is a key determinant of favorable inequity and patrons' perception of well-being, thereby inducing two types of dedicational behaviors (enhancement and advocacy). More importantly, during this process, brand consciousness played a moderating role in the relationship between brand prestige and patrons' perception of well-being. Based on the data analysis results, the theoretical/practical implications were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.61-84
• /
• 1993

This study was to examine the marital satisfaction and depression of dual-earner couples, and it placed emphasis on the factors affecting the marital satisfaction and depression of dual-earner couples who have school-age children. The sample consisted of 265 husbands and wives in dual-earner families living in Seoul. The findings of this study were as follows: 1. Wives' marital satisfaction was significantly affected by wives' perception of inequity in the division of family works, joint leisure activities, sexual satisfaction, wives' job satisfaction, wives' satisfaction with marital communication and perceived benefits resulting from wives' employment. 2. Husbands' marital satisfaction was significantly affected by sexual satisfaction, role conflicts, perceived benefits resulting from wives' employment and degree of husbands' housework participation. 3. Wives' depression was significantly affected by role conflicts, perceived sexual problems caused by their employment, wives' job satisfaction, sex role attitude and perceived inequity in the division of family work. 4. Husbands' depression was significantly affected by role conflicts, the degree of their housework participation, their job satisfaction and perceived sexual problems caused by wives' employment.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.288-302
• /
• 2019

Background: The one-person households (OPH) are rapidly increasing and vulnerable to socioeconomic and health problems. Because it is predicted to be inequitable to health care utilization, we would like to find out about the equity of health care utilization of the OPH by comparison with the multi-person households (MPH). Methods: This study followed the theoretical framework of Wagstaff and van Doorslaer (2000), O'Donnell and his colleagues (2008), where the horizontal inequity index is the difference between the concentration indices of actual health care utilization and health care needs. This study employed the 9th Korea Health Panel survey, and a total of 10,807 cases were analyzed. Health care needs were measured by age, sex, subjective health status, chronic disease count, Charlson's Comorbidity Index, limitation of activities, and disability. Results: Compared with the MPH, there were pro-poor inequities in hospitalization, emergency utilization, hospitalization out-of-pocket payments, and pro-rich inequities in outpatient out-of-pocket payments for the OPH. The decomposition of the concentration index revealed that chronic disease count made the largest contribution to socioeconomic inequality in outpatient utilization. Age, health insurance, economic activities, and subjective health status also proved more important contributors to inequality. The variables contributing to the hospitalization and emergency utilization inequity were age, education, Charlson's Comorbidity Index, marital status, and income. Conclusion: Because the OPH was more vulnerable to health problems than the MPH and there were pro-poor inequities in medical utilization, hospitalization, and emergency costs, it is necessary to develop a policy that can correct and improve the portion of high contribution to medical utilization of the OPH.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.77-106
• /
• 1994

This study attempts to evaluate the beneficial equity and operational efficiency of the three Korean medical insurance programmes and thereby suggest directions for their policy improvement. Concepts of the equity and effciency were reviewed to develop indicators for comparative analysis. For the analysis, statistical and financial accounting data for 1991, issued by the National Federation of Medical Insurance and the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation, on the operational status and performances of the programmes, were collected and rearranged to be suited to the purpose of the study. The analysis reveals that beneficial inequity exists between self-employed and employee programs. and that operational inefficiency is prominent in both programms for self-employeds and for Government employees and private school teachers. In order to improve the beneficial inequity of the self-employed program, it is suggested that policies be formulated and implimented toward increasing the program revenue through increasing subsidies from the Government, and through inter- program finance adiustment. For the operational inefficiency of the two programs, it is judged that, toghether with the administrative support and control from the Government and the insurance society bodies, self- efforts be initiated to improve the internal mangement styles and systems of the insurance societies. Finally, from the viewpoint of the structural efficiency, expansion of the preventive insurance benefits by the insurance soceties is recommended both for beneficial equity and operational efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.285-305
• /
• 1992

The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of dual-earner families in Seoul. The specific aims of this study were to examine the dynamics of marital relationship, parent-child relationship and old mother-daughter/daughter in law relationship in the same family. The sample consised of 265 dual-earner families was selected based on wives' jobs, primarily non-professional. The information was gathered from working couples and their school-aged children. The findings of this study were as follows: 1. Sex role attitude of husbands was more traditional than their wives. Therefore, housework sharing of husbands was very low and wives' perception of inequity was high. Wives' marital satisfaction was affected by the wives' perception of inequity, joint leisure activity, sexual satisfaction, and wives' job satisfaction. Husbands' marital satisfaction was affected by sexual satisfaction, perceived difficulties and problems of the husbands caused by wives' employment, and the degree of their housework participation. 2. The emotional uneasiness of children during mothers' absence was reported. The communication about mothers' job was helpful to gain children's understanding toward mothers' job. Mothers suffered from guilty feeling of neglecting their children in spite of their good performance of mothering role. 3. The employed daughters/daughters in law perceived high rewards and low cost in relationships with their mothers/mothers in law. The perceived quality of daughter-mother relationship was higher with low cost and high rewards than that of daughter in law/mother in law. Finally practical and policy implications were suggested.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.209-217
• /
• 2011

Purpose: In this study, eye-health inequity was investigated by analyzing the relationship between household incomes and eye-health of senior citizens. Further, this study suggested the preliminary data for establishment of public eye-health policy in order to improve low income senior citizens' life quality. Methods: The data from the 2009 Survey of Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination were analyzed in this study. The objectives of the KNHNE survey were over 65 year old group (1,668 people). Main factors of eye-health (visual acuity, cataract, pterygium, intraocular pressure, retinophathy, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinophathy, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and anisometropia prevalence) were analyzed with t-test and chi square test. Results: Low income group revealed that refractive error rate and intraocular pressure were low, however, naked eye visual acuity and corrected visual acuity were high at 0.1 to less than 0.5. On the other hands, in the high income group, there was high prevalence of hyperopia. Cataract mainly occurred at low income group besides group which maximum corrected visual acuity was below 0.8 also highly showed cataract. Moreover, the prevalence of cataract showed that it related with smoking, drinking, occupation, and education level. Conclusions: Results revealed that there was inequity of eye-health which related with socioeconomic status of the elderly. Especially, the prevalence of cataract was correlated with life quality. Consequently, establishment of public eye-health policy seems to be required for eye-health inequity of low income senior citizens.