Aziz Rezapour, Farbod Ebadifard Azar, Negar Yusef Zadeh, Fatemeh Hasanpour, Hossein Bagheri Faradonbeh, Saeideh Ansari Nosrati, Zahra Asemaneh , Mohammad Hossein Ghafoori,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (7-2015)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Receiving and using health care services is called
health services uitilization. There are many socio-economic factors including
income, culture, age and education affecting the utilization of the services. This
survey aimed to study socio-economic determinants of health utilization in Tehran.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, population based health
survey done in year 2013. The sample was 792 households living in Tehran. Data
was collected by WHO (households) questionnaire, and analyzed using logistic
model and stata12.
Results: Among the study variables, households' income, presence of a person
with chronic disease, education of the head of the household, and presence of
person older than 60 and younger than 14 in households, had a significant
statistical relationship with utilization. Insurance coverage had a vague and weak
effect on the utilization of health services. Moreover about 23 percent of the
households were not under insurance coverage.
Conclusion: According to the announced policies by the supreme leader of the
Islamic Republic of Iran to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and by
cconsidering the main focus of these policies on the universal insurance coverage,
households financial security and reform of the payment system identifying
households that utilize more health care services than any others because of any
socio-economic reasons is a considerable step for providing financial security for
vulnerable households and reforming health care system at the national level.
