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Association between Poverty and Refraining from Seeking Medical Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Prospective Cohort Study

Author

Listed:
  • Erika Obikane

    (Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-0074, Japan
    Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

  • Daisuke Nishi

    (Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
    Department of Public Mental Health Research, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan)

  • Akihiko Ozaki

    (Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki 972-8322, Japan)

  • Tomohiro Shinozaki

    (Department of Information and Computer Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan)

  • Norito Kawakami

    (Department of Digital Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan)

  • Takahiro Tabuchi

    (Department of Cancer Control Center, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
    The Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, Tokyo 106-6234, Japan)

Abstract

This limited study examined how low household income affected avoidant behaviors to seek medical care during the pandemic. We investigated an association between household income below the relative poverty line and refraining from seeking medical care (RSMC) in a longitudinal study during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an analysis of a population-based internet cohort in Japan. Individuals aged 20 to 79 years old living in Japan participated in the internet surveys between 2020 and 2021. The primary outcome was the RSMC of regular visits and new symptoms in 2021. A total of 19,672 individuals were included in the analysis. Household income below the relative poverty line in 2020 was significantly associated with refraining from seeking regular medical visits for men and women (for men, odds ratio: 1.28; confidence interval: 1.19, 1.83; for women, odds ratio: 1.42; confidence interval: 1.14, 1.82) in 2021, after accounting for RSMC in 2020. Relative poverty in 2020 was also associated with the RSMC of new symptoms among men (for males, odds ratio: 1.32; confidence interval: 1.05, 1.66) in 2021 after adjusting for covariates. The study suggested the need to alleviate the financial burden of vulnerable people seeking medical care and advocate for making necessary medical visits, even in a pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Erika Obikane & Daisuke Nishi & Akihiko Ozaki & Tomohiro Shinozaki & Norito Kawakami & Takahiro Tabuchi, 2023. "Association between Poverty and Refraining from Seeking Medical Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Prospective Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:3:p:2682-:d:1055400
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Apostolos Davillas & Andrew M. Jones, 2021. "Unmet health care need and income‐Related horizontal equity in use of health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(7), pages 1711-1716, July.
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