Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in China

Globally, diabetes and its complications are becoming one of the leading challenges in health governance. As health inequalities and primary care services related to diabetes are gaining traction, the status of community-based diabetes examination largely remains unclear in the literature. This stud...

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Main Authors: Qingwen Deng, Yan Wei, Yingyao Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.956883/full
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author Qingwen Deng
Yan Wei
Yingyao Chen
author_facet Qingwen Deng
Yan Wei
Yingyao Chen
author_sort Qingwen Deng
collection DOAJ
description Globally, diabetes and its complications are becoming one of the leading challenges in health governance. As health inequalities and primary care services related to diabetes are gaining traction, the status of community-based diabetes examination largely remains unclear in the literature. This study aims to investigate inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination among people with diabetes and to analyze its impact on healthcare utilization. Data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were applied, and a total of 767 patients with diabetes were included. Inequalities in community-based diabetes examination were illustrated by the concentration curve and normalized concentration index. Propensity score matching (PSM) were used to identify the impact of community-based diabetes examination on outpatient and inpatient care utilization. We found that community-based diabetes examination was accessible to 23.08% of the respondents, of which 76.84% were free, and the highest frequency was 2–6 times per year, accounting for 47.46%. Community-based diabetes examinations were more concentrated among people with poorer-economic condition (95% confidence interval, 95%CI = −0.104, p = 0.0035), lower-education level (95%CI = −0.092, p = 0.0129), and less-developed areas (95%CI = −0.103, p = 0.0007). PSM analyses showed that community-based diabetes examination increased the utilization of outpatient care (odds ratio, OR = 1.989, 95%CI = 1.156–3.974) and decreased the use of inpatient care (OR = 0.544, 95%CI = 0.325–0.909), and the sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. This study is the first to examine the status and inequalities of community-based regular diabetes examination and its effect on the likelihood of healthcare utilization among patients with diabetes. The findings suggest that the overall level of community-based diabetes examination is low, and there are pro-socioeconomically disadvantaged inequalities. The value of community-based diabetes examination should be recognized to help person with diabetes face up to their health needs for better disease control and health promotion.
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spelling doaj.art-d01296b5abb04bdb87faec0e1f35e0032022-12-22T04:30:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-09-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.956883956883Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in ChinaQingwen DengYan WeiYingyao ChenGlobally, diabetes and its complications are becoming one of the leading challenges in health governance. As health inequalities and primary care services related to diabetes are gaining traction, the status of community-based diabetes examination largely remains unclear in the literature. This study aims to investigate inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination among people with diabetes and to analyze its impact on healthcare utilization. Data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were applied, and a total of 767 patients with diabetes were included. Inequalities in community-based diabetes examination were illustrated by the concentration curve and normalized concentration index. Propensity score matching (PSM) were used to identify the impact of community-based diabetes examination on outpatient and inpatient care utilization. We found that community-based diabetes examination was accessible to 23.08% of the respondents, of which 76.84% were free, and the highest frequency was 2–6 times per year, accounting for 47.46%. Community-based diabetes examinations were more concentrated among people with poorer-economic condition (95% confidence interval, 95%CI = −0.104, p = 0.0035), lower-education level (95%CI = −0.092, p = 0.0129), and less-developed areas (95%CI = −0.103, p = 0.0007). PSM analyses showed that community-based diabetes examination increased the utilization of outpatient care (odds ratio, OR = 1.989, 95%CI = 1.156–3.974) and decreased the use of inpatient care (OR = 0.544, 95%CI = 0.325–0.909), and the sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. This study is the first to examine the status and inequalities of community-based regular diabetes examination and its effect on the likelihood of healthcare utilization among patients with diabetes. The findings suggest that the overall level of community-based diabetes examination is low, and there are pro-socioeconomically disadvantaged inequalities. The value of community-based diabetes examination should be recognized to help person with diabetes face up to their health needs for better disease control and health promotion.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.956883/fullinequalitycommunity-baseddiabeteshealthcare utilizationpropensity score matching
spellingShingle Qingwen Deng
Yan Wei
Yingyao Chen
Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in China
Frontiers in Public Health
inequality
community-based
diabetes
healthcare utilization
propensity score matching
title Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in China
title_full Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in China
title_fullStr Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in China
title_full_unstemmed Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in China
title_short Inequalities in access to community-based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle-aged and older adults with diabetes in China
title_sort inequalities in access to community based diabetes examination and its impact on healthcare utilization among middle aged and older adults with diabetes in china
topic inequality
community-based
diabetes
healthcare utilization
propensity score matching
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.956883/full
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AT yanwei inequalitiesinaccesstocommunitybaseddiabetesexaminationanditsimpactonhealthcareutilizationamongmiddleagedandolderadultswithdiabetesinchina
AT yingyaochen inequalitiesinaccesstocommunitybaseddiabetesexaminationanditsimpactonhealthcareutilizationamongmiddleagedandolderadultswithdiabetesinchina