Socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare system efficiency in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of the moderating role of vaccination
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PROVIDER: S-EPMC10996399 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Background/aimsThis cross-sectional study aimed to investigate biologics treatment disparities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients based on socioeconomic status (SES).MethodsData from the KOrean Observational Study Network for Arthritis (KORONA) database were analyzed to assess various factors associated with SES, health behaviors, and biologics use. Logistic regression and structured equation modeling (SEM) were utilized for data analysis.ResultsAmong 5,077 RA patients included, 393 (7.7%) patients were identified as biologics users. Within the entire cohort, 31.8% of the participants were in the low-income and low-education groups, and 39.3% of the participants were in the high-income and high-education groups. Despite the patients with low income or low education experienced higher disease activity at diagnosis, had more comorbidities, exhibited higher medication compliance, underwent more check-ups, and had more hospital admissions than their counterparts, the odds of patients with low-income receiving biologics were 34% lower (adjusted odds ratio = 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.60-0.96, p = 0.021) after adjustment for demographics and comorbidities. SEM and pathway analyses confirmed the negative impact of low SES on biologics use.ConclusionThe findings suggest that SES plays a significant role in biologics use among RA patients, indicating potential healthcare inefficiencies for low SES patients. Moreover, adverse healthcare habits negatively affect biologics use in RA patients. The study highlights the importance of considering socioeconomic factors while discussing biologics use and promoting equitable access to biologics for optimal RA management.
| S-EPMC11236806 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundJapan is one of the world's largest tobacco epidemic countries but few studies have focused on socioeconomic inequalities. We aimed to examine whether socioeconomic inequalities in smoking have reduced in Japan in recent times.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions, a large nationally representative survey conducted every 3 years (n ≈ 700,000 per year) in Japan, during 2001-2016. Age-standardized smoking prevalence was computed based on occupational class and educational level. We calculated smoking prevalence difference (PD) and ratio (PR) of (a) manual workers versus upper non-manual workers and (b) low versus high educational level. The slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index inequality (RII) by educational level were used as inequality measures.ResultsOverall smoking prevalence (25-64 years) decreased from 56.0% to 38.4% among men and from 17.0% to 13.0% among women during 2001-2016. The PD between manual and upper non-manual workers (25-64 years) increased from 11.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0-12.9%) to 14.6% (95% CI, 13.5-15.6%) during 2001-2016. In 2016, smoking prevalence (25-64 years) for low, middle, and highly educated individuals were 57.8%, 43.9%, and 27.8% for men, and 34.7%, 15.9%, and 5.6% for women, respectively. SII and RII by educational level increased among both sexes. Larger socioeconomic differences in smoking prevalence were observed in younger generations, which suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in smoking evolve in a cohort pattern.ConclusionsSocioeconomic inequalities in smoking widened between 2001 and 2016 in Japan, which indicates that health inequalities will continue to exist in near future.
| S-EPMC8126678 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This research helps to clarify the relation between pandemic fatigue (PF) and vaccination intentions (VI). Theoretically, two patterns seem plausible. First, as with any other health protective measure, PF might reduce the motivation to get vaccinated. Second, PF might increase the motivation to get vaccinated because vaccination reduces the number of (other) health protective measure needed. We tested these two opposing predictions and further explored the moderating role of trust in pandemic-relevant institutions on the link between PF and VI in two large-scale survey studies from Denmark and Germany (collected between 2020 and 2021; total N > 22,000). Data was analyzed using multiple regression models. Analyses reveal a negative link between PF and VI that is less pronounced for people high in trust. Results remain stable when accounting for covariates and quadratic trends. Thus, trust might buffer the negative relation between PF and VI.
| S-EPMC10958744 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: Considerable evidence suggests that communication inequality is one potential mechanism linking social determinants, particularly socioeconomic status, and health inequalities. This study aimed to examine how dimensions of health communication outcomes (health information seeking, self-efficacy, exposure, and trust) are patterned by socioeconomic status in Japan. METHODS: Data of a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 2,455 people aged 15-75 years in Japan were used for secondary analysis. Measures included socio-demographic characteristics, subjective health, recent health information seeking, self-efficacy in seeking health information, and exposure to and trust in health information from different media. RESULTS: A total of 1,311 participants completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 53.6%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that education and household income, but not employment, were significantly associated with health information seeking and self-efficacy. Socioeconomic status was not associated with exposure to and trust in health information from mass media, but was significantly associated with health information from healthcare providers and the Internet. CONCLUSION: Health communication outcomes were patterned by socioeconomic status in Japan thus demonstrating the prevalence of health communication inequalities. Providing customized exposure to and enhancing the quality of health information by considering social determinants may contribute to addressing social disparities in health in Japan.
| S-EPMC3395686 | biostudies-other
Project description:IntroductionDespite having very high life expectancy, Japan has relatively poor self-rated health, compared to other high-income countries. We studied trends and socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated health in Japan using nationally representative data.MethodsThe Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions was analyzed, every 3 years (n ≈ 0.6-0.8 million/year) from 1986 to 2016. Whereas previous studies dichotomized self-rated health as an outcome, we used four categories: very good, good, fair, and bad/very bad. Proportional odds ordinal logistic regression models are used, with ordinal scale self-rated health as an outcome, and age category, survey year and occupational class or educational level as independent variables.ResultsIn 2016, the age-adjusted percentages for self-rated health categorized as very good, good, fair, and bad/very bad, were 24.0, 17.1, 48.7, and 10.2% among working-age men, and 21.6, 17.5, 49.4, and 11.5% among working-age women, respectively. With 1986 as the reference year, the odds ratios (ORs) of less good self-rated health were lowest in 1995 (0.69; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]: 0.66-0.71 of working-age men), and highest in 2010 (1.23 [95% CI: 1.19-1.27]). The ORs of male, lower non-manual workers (compared to upper non-manual) increased from 1.12 (95% CI: 1.07-1.17) in 2010 to 1.20 (95% CI: 1.15-1.26) in 2016. Between 2010 and 2016, the ORs of working-age men with middle and low levels of education (compared to a high level of education) increased from 1.22 (95% CI: 1.18-1.27) to 1.34 (95% CI: 1.29-1.38), and from 1.47 (95% CI: 1.39-1.56) to 1.75 (95% CI: 1.63-1.88), respectively. The ORs of working-age women with middle and low levels of education also increased from 1.22 (95% CI: 1.17-1.28) to 1.32 (95% CI: 1.26-1.37), and from 1.74 (95% CI: 1.61-1.88) to 2.03 (95% CI: 1.87-2.21) during the same period.ConclusionJapan has the unique feature that approximately 50% of the survey respondents rated their self-rated health as fair, but with important variations over time and between socioeconomic groups. In-depth studies of the role of socioeconomic conditions may shed light on the reasons for the high prevalence of poor self-rated health in Japan.
| S-EPMC8501722 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundExposure to second hand smoke (SHS) is one of the major causes of premature death and disease among children. While socioeconomic inequalities exist for adult smoking, such evidence is limited for SHS exposure in children. Thus, this study examined changes over time in socioeconomic inequalities in infants' SHS exposure in Japan.MethodsThis is a repeated cross-sectional study of 41,833 infants born in 2001 and 32,120 infants born in 2010 in Japan from nationally representative surveys using questionnaires. The prevalence of infants' SHS exposure was determined and related to household income and parental education level. The magnitudes of income and educational inequalities in infants' SHS exposure were estimated in 2001 and 2010 using both absolute and relative inequality indices.ResultsThe prevalence of SHS exposure in infants declined from 2001 to 2010. The relative index of inequality increased from 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 0.89) to 1.47 (95% CI, 1.37 to 1.56) based on income and from 1.22 (95% CI, 1.17 to 1.26) to 2.09 (95% CI, 2.00 to 2.17) based on education. In contrast, the slope index of inequality decreased from 30.9 (95% CI, 29.3 to 32.6) to 20.1 (95% CI, 18.7 to 21.5) based on income and from 44.6 (95% CI, 43.1 to 46.2) to 28.7 (95% CI, 27.3 to 30.0) based on education. Having only a father who smoked indoors was a major contributor to absolute income inequality in infants' SHS exposure in 2010, which increased in importance from 45.1% in 2001 to 67.0% in 2010.ConclusionsThe socioeconomic inequalities in infants' second hand smoke exposure increased in relative terms but decreased in absolute terms from 2001 to 2010. Further efforts are needed to encourage parents to quit smoking and protect infants from second hand smoke exposure, especially in low socioeconomic households that include non-smoking mothers.
| S-EPMC4592009 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic led to reductions in non-COVID related healthcare use, but little is known whether this burden is shared equally. This study investigates whether reductions in administered care disproportionately affected certain sociodemographic strata, in particular marginalised groups. Using detailed medical claims data from the Dutch universal health care system and rich full population registry data, we predict expected healthcare use based on pre-pandemic trends (2017 - Feb 2020) and compare these expectations with observed healthcare use in 2020 and 2021. Our findings reveal a 10% decline in the number of weekly treated patients in 2020 and a 3% decline in 2021 relative to prior years. These declines are unequally distributed and are more pronounced for individuals below the poverty line, females, older people, and individuals with a migrant background, particularly during the initial wave of COVID-19 hospitalisations and for middle and low urgency procedures. While reductions in non-COVID related healthcare decreased following the initial shock of the pandemic, inequalities persist throughout 2020 and 2021. Our results demonstrate that the pandemic has not only had an unequal toll in terms of the direct health burden of the pandemic, but has also had a differential impact on the use of non-COVID healthcare.
| S-EPMC10904793 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout on socioeconomic COVID-19-related inequalities is scarce. We analyzed associations between socioeconomic deprivation index (SDI) and COVID-19 vaccination, infection, and hospitalization before and after vaccine rollout in Catalonia, Spain. We conducted a population-based cohort study during September 2020-June 2021 that comprised 2,297,146 adults >40 years of age. We estimated odds ratio of nonvaccination and hazard ratios (HRs) of infection and hospitalization by SDI quintile relative to the least deprived quintile, Q1. Six months after rollout, vaccination coverage differed by SDI quintile in working-age (40-64 years) persons: 81% for Q1, 71% for Q5. Before rollout, we found a pattern of increased HR of infection and hospitalization with deprivation among working-age and retirement-age (>65 years) persons. After rollout, infection inequalities decreased in both age groups, whereas hospitalization inequalities decreased among retirement-age persons. Our findings suggest that mass vaccination reduced socioeconomic COVID-19-related inequalities.
| S-EPMC9622244 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveMonitoring inequality in healthcare utilisation is essential to reduce persistent inequalities in health in lower-middle income countries. This study aimed to assess socioeconomic inequalities in the utilisation of primary care, secondary care and preventive care in Indonesia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2014 Indonesia Family Life Survey with a total of 42 083 adult participants. Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by educational level and income. Healthcare utilisation was measured in: (1) primary care, (2) outpatient in secondary care, (3) inpatient care and (4) cardiovascular-related preventive care. The magnitude of inequalities was measured using the relative index of inequality (RII).ResultsSmall educational inequalities were found for primary care utilisation (RII 1.13, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.26). Larger educational inequalities were found for outpatient secondary care (RII 10.35, 95% CI 8.11 to 13.22) and inpatient care (RII 2.78, 95% CI 2.32 to 3.32). The largest educational inequalities were found for preventive care, particularly regarding blood glucose tests (RII 30.31, 95% CI 26.13 to 35.15) and electrocardiography tests (RII 30.90, 95% CI 24.97 to 38.23). Compared with educational inequalities, income inequalities were larger for primary care (RII 1.68, 95% CI 1.52 to 1.85) and inpatient care (RII 3.11, 95% CI 2.63 to 3.66), but not for outpatient secondary care and preventive care.ConclusionsSocioeconomic inequalities in healthcare utilisation in Indonesia are particularly large in secondary and preventive care. Therefore, it is recommended to prioritise policies focused on improving timely, geographical and financial access to secondary and preventive care for lower SES groups.
| S-EPMC6661624 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundArea differences in life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) in large geographical units have been monitored around the world. Area characteristics may be based on culture, history, socioeconomic status and discrimination in smaller geographical units, so it is important to consider these when looking at health inequality. We aimed to evaluate LE, HLE, and non-healthy life expectancy (NHLE) in 1707 municipalities using Areal Deprivation Index (ADI) in Japan for the first time.MethodsWe calculated the observed LE, HLE, and NHLE using death, population, and Long-term care insurance data for 2010-2014 and applied the variance weighted least squares model to estimate LE, HLE, and NHLE by 100 percentiles using the standardized ADI.FindingsThe estimated LE, HLE, and NHLE became lower as the deprivation index worsened: the differences between the most and least deprived areas for HLE were 2·49 years for LE and 2·32 years for HLE in males; 1·22 years for LE and 0·93 years for HLE in females. The observed LE and HLE in the most deprived areas were much lower than other areas.InterpretationUsing ADI has enabled us to see the disparity within municipalities precisely. LE and HLE outlier for the 100th percentile might be linked to historical areal deprivation and marginalization. Precise monitoring of socioeconomic status-based health inequalities could help manage these inequalities by identifying the groups most in need of intervention.FundingThe Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research [A] No. 20H00040 and 18H04071).
| S-EPMC8355904 | biostudies-literature